Chapter 79 – Knight and Mage (2)

Robinson was a 2-star knight.

He was not particularly outstanding among knights, but he was not lacking either.

Just average.

Doing as much as others did, but finding anything beyond that impossible—such a person was Robinson.

‘Why…’

Average did not refer only to skill.

The ability to cope with instantaneous changes in the situation was the same.

Until the bandit wrapped himself in mana, lectured Edwin, and subsequently sent Edwin’s sword flying, Robinson merely stood frozen.

“Robinson! Lift your sword! This bastard is not an ally!”

The fallen Edwin shouted.

The urgency revealed on that face, and the rope that bound Edwin, a 3-star knight, rendering him unable to move, were visible.

And.

Even the mysterious knight approaching with a still leisurely stride.

“……!”

*Schwing!*

The sword was drawn.

Even with an average level of judgment, he could do at least this much.

The man before his eyes was an enemy.

Even if Edwin had let his guard down, the man was strong enough to subdue a 3-star knight, and if Robinson let his guard down even a little, he would surely end up like Edwin.

In an instant, numerous thoughts flashed through his head.

‘Can I win?’

*Clench.*

He gritted his teeth.

Among knights, a 2-star knight was not an exceptionally high level.

The only reason they could reign like kings here was that the bandits were ‘ordinary people.’

However, if one considered only mana users, a grade that clearly belonged to the lower ranks was precisely a 2-star.

“How does this situation look in your eyes, Robinson?”

“I…”

“Do not listen! He is an enemy! He is not that strong! If you just do not let your guard down, you can win!”

Edwin’s shout pierced his ears. Robinson swallowed the answer he was about to give.

Edwin continued to shout.

“If he were a truly strong guy, there would be no reason to use such tricks! Isn’t that right, you cowardly bastard!”

“It is also worth assuming that it is because I did not want to hurt you on purpose.”

“Cut the crap! Robinson! Snap out of it!”

*Startle.*

Robinson snapped out of it.

Without realizing, he was weighing the scales in his heart.

Between Edwin, whom he had been together with all this time, and the man he met for the very first time.

‘It is a matter that does not even require thinking.’

Even so, the reason he hesitated was,

‘To think I actually felt fear. It is ridiculous.’

It was due to being swept away by the atmosphere created by the man in front of him.

His mind cleared.

The mana of a 2-star knight began to gradually rise.

“You have finally snapped out of it.”

The man spoke with a grin. As if he had been waiting.

“Did you give me time? For that, it is hard to accept the action you committed against Sir Edwin.”

“It is not a duel anyway.”

“That is why I am asking. Why did you not attack?”

“Because a reason has arisen to do so. A reason to face and defeat an intact Robinson.”

As expected, it was an incomprehensible answer.

And there was no need to know it either.

Robinson composed his mind. Cut down the enemy, rescue Edwin, and complete the mission.

‘If worst comes to worst, I will at least buy time.’

Moreover, Robinson was not alone.

Verifying that the ground beneath the man’s feet was turning bluish, Robinson kicked off the ground.

It was a preemptive strike.

However, it was not an attack to strike, but to gauge the opponent’s level.

The tip of the sword aimed at the man’s flank. However,

“……”

It was blocked all too cleanly.

It was a smooth movement.

A calm defense, as if he knew from the beginning that the sword would head this way.

‘……Was it a coincidence?’

Judging that once was not enough, Robinson moved again. A short, intuitive stab followed.

The speed was fast, matching its intuitiveness.

But this time too,

*Clang!*

Robinson’s sword bounced off helplessly.

“……”

Robinson swallowed hard. The man’s reaction was definitely leisurely. It was to the point of feeling as if he were waiting for the attack while staying a step ahead.

*Glance.*

He looked at Edwin with a heart pleading for help, but it was clear that Edwin was also feeling similar emotions.

‘……Buy time.’

Fortunately, the man did not seem to have any intention of ending the battle quickly either.

Whether his purpose was to mock, or whether he had other thoughts, Robinson did not know, but

at any rate, it was a relief for Robinson.

‘If I hold out just a little longer, the magic circle will be completed……’

“Tell him to hurry up.”

“……?”

“Preparing the magic circle. Tell him to hurry. I am waiting, aren’t I?”

Robinson froze. Edwin was not much different.

The two knights now began to think that the man before their eyes might really be an ally.

“Fane is good in everything else, but this is his problem. He is so needlessly prideful that he tries to detonate a single big spell in every situation. Even though now is not the time for that.”

“That is…”

About to say that was correct, Robinson barely managed to shut his mouth.

Just when he thought he had finally composed himself, something rushed in once again.

Knowing his own name and Edwin’s was something that could happen.

But if he had completely grasped the existence of the mage Fane, and even his personality?

“……If you are truly an ally, reveal your identity even now. It is not too late…… Oh no!”

Robinson was greatly flustered.

It was because the blue light beneath the man’s feet grew blatantly darker.

Actually, that was not the problem.

Whether the man died or not, and whether he was an ally or not, this was merely an ‘accident’ that occurred during the execution of the operation.

The problem was the fact that the blue light had reached even beneath Robinson’s feet.

“Fane! Withdraw the magic! Damn it!”

He had to survive. If hit by this, not even his bones would remain. The Quellei Sect used slow but sure and strong magic.

This blue light was fundamentally different from the tricks placed in the forest.

“Edwin!”

Even in the midst of that, he took care of his superior. It was a virtue of a knight. Carrying Edwin on his shoulder like luggage, Robinson kicked off the ground.

Within that brief moment, he looked toward the man.

The man was merely standing with a still leisurely air.

‘……Why? Why is he staying still?’

It was a situation where even Robinson himself could not be sure if he could escape. Was that act not equivalent to simply wanting to die?

At that moment, the man’s sword pointed toward the ground. The tip of the sword moved lightly, as if to scratch the ground.

That was the end of it.

“……?”

Robinson stared blankly at that sight. The blue light had long since vanished cleanly, as if it had never existed.

Robinson swallowed hard, and Edwin swallowed simultaneously.

Edwin spoke in a muttering tone,

“……It seems we made a mistake.”

***

Immediately after facing the knights,

Henry received two additional missions.

One was to duel Robinson one-on-one.

The other was to directly break the mage’s magic circle.

“Thank you for the 500,000 won each. I will invest it generously where it is absolutely needed. Just after finishing this mission.”

The two building owners boasted truly overwhelming generosity.

Even more so, after the viewer named Cheongdam Man appeared, the atmosphere seemed to carry a strange competition.

Of course,

it was a welcome thing for Henry.

Thanks to that, he was performing a mission worth a whopping 5 million won, and could raise an additional income of 1 million won from the missions conducted on the side.

“First, I will squeeze out the rest of the information. Count Levi will be pleased. What I am most curious about is who is behind this.”

Right now, in front of Henry, three people stood in awkward postures.

Naturally, the knights Robinson and Edwin, and the mage Fane were those very individuals.

“Unbelievable. My magic, so easily… The magic of the Quellei Sect, from the moment it is activated, even a 7-star knight cannot break…”

“I broke it, though.”

“……”

Fane’s mouth shut. His eyes were full of disbelief.

“Edwin.”

“……Speak.”

“Report the situation.”

Henry spoke in an uncharacteristically heavy voice.

To them right now, Henry was not a knight trainee who had not even graduated from the Academy, but an expert sent by their master.

If so, he had to show behavior befitting that.

“……I am still not convinced. Show me proof that you are an ally.”

“The fact that you are still alive and facing me would be the proof, if anything.”

“Even something stamped with a seal would be fine…”

“It seems you carry such items, do you? It appears you harbor thoughts that you cannot die alone if things go wrong. Whose ankles are you trying to drag down?”

“A knight must always carry their master’s token in their bosom!”

“Do you think so too?”

Henry looked at Robinson. Unlike Edwin, who was giving a passionate speech, Robinson had a face with complicated feelings.

“……I do not know.”

“Take out everything that could serve as proof. Because I will clean it up on the way back. You, Mage. You, return the tricks set up in this forest back to normal.”

Henry, who gave instructions abruptly, directed Fane this time.

Naturally, Fane resisted, but the method Henry chose was simple.

“When a person does not listen, they can be corrected with a very simple method. Do you want such a savage method?”

Fane immediately started working.

It was the task of making the bandits dismantle the spell formulas of the magic circle installed across the forest.

Robinson and Edwin did not know what to do, but in the end, they looked at Henry with a sigh.

“Is this also a test?”

“What test?”

“Testing whether we reveal our master’s identity in a life-threatening crisis, or something…”

“You worry too much. Robinson, prepare the items, and Edwin, report the situation. This might be the last invitation I offer.”

Edwin’s face darkened at the blatant threat.

But what could he do?

Henry was privy to information an outsider could not know, and he was an existence far ahead in military force.

In the end, Edwin accepted reality.

“……Report. I will organize the materials first, so please wait a moment.”

[Sir Knight acts so well lol]

[It’s like he became a different person lol]

[But it’s true that he would win even if he fought 3-on-1, right?]

[He would more than win lol. Looking at it this way, the mage is practically non-existent anyway?]

“I will probably win. As you said, mages—especially mages of the Quellei Sect—are relatively easy to deal with.”

In fact, the knights were not much different.

Although the tool that bound Edwin earlier was an item sold in the Sponsorship Shop, it was clear that even if he had not used it, there would have been no major issue in the battle.

‘……The effect was far better than expected.’

The traits [Understanding] and [Observer’s Eye] obtained earlier allowed Henry to easily deal with enemies of his level or higher.

Actually, it was not merely an easy level, it was overwhelming.

Since they were at the point of practically being unable to do anything.

At that moment, Edwin came out with a few roughly organized documents.

“It is ready.”

***

Count Levi was quietly looking out the window with a face swollen with anticipation.

Considering his original personality, it was an awkward sight.

Because he had always immersed himself diligently in work, and recently he was having a headache due to problems caused by the bandits.

However, a moment ago,

the butler delivered the news that Henry Camilton had returned, and even added a postscript that Henry’s expression was very refreshed.

*Knock, knock.*

“Come in quickly!”

Finally, the long-awaited guest arrived.

Henry Camilton.

For some reason, his attire was of a grubby sort not suiting a knight, but Count Levi was originally a person who did not value formalities.

“So, the result?”

“I found the base.”

“As expected!”

*Slam!*

The Count slammed the desk with both hands out of joy.

“I will send forces right now! The location?”

“Before that, there is something I must tell you.”

“If it is not urgent…”

“It is extremely urgent.”

“If so, well. What is it?”

“Two knights and a mage were together. I interrogated them, and also heard who is behind them.”

“……What?”

Count Levi stared at Henry with a bewildered gaze.

“Knights… no, fine. Who was it?”

“It was Count Madison. The knights’ names are Robinson and Edwin. Also, the mage is said to be Fane of the Quellei Sect.”

“……The knights’ names are in my memory. Are you sure? That Count Madison ordered this?”

“It is certain.”

“The Quellei Sect mage bastard too?”

“I confirmed it precisely.”

At Henry’s calm affirmation, Count Levi rested his hand on his forehead.

“This damn aristocratic bastard. Are they alive? No, they must be dead. It is a pity, but…”

“I did not kill them.”

“Then did you let them escape? No, sorry. I mean it. I temporarily got confused. I forgot that you are a guest from the Academy…”

“I held them captive.”

“……How did you handle guys who manipulate mana? No, before that. You defeated them?”

To the Count, who had a gaze completely unable to believe it, Henry nodded as if it were nothing.

“I have buried them nearby, so it would be better to go meet them first.”

BJ Swordmaster