Chapter 92 – Ryugo Viscounty

Harris intuitively felt that he was late.

Something rushed in and swept away two assassins in a single blow.

It was a momentum like a wave.

And the assassins were grains of sand swept away helplessly by it.

A 7-star knight.

The Sword of the Royal Family glared at the assassins, including Harris, with eyes flashing fire.

“Henry! Austin! Fall back!”

The target they thought they had caught slipped out of their grasp. One assassin targeted Austin without giving up, but it was a futile movement.

Boom!

For with a sound that could not be thought of as coming from hitting with a sword, he ended up driven into the ground up to his waist just like that.

Those who survived gathered around Harris.

There were only five, including Harris.

It was clear that the two who had been set as sentries were already dead.

“Speak. Are you Roderick’s minions!”

A foolish shout resounded ringingly. Harris thought so. Did she think she could hear an answer by asking such a question?

Thanks to that, he bought time.

‘Can we escape?’

The mission failed. Now, even if they resolved to die together, it was impossible. The variable named Henry Camilton was too massive, and the absolute military power of Melissa was already added to the situation.

‘If we are lucky, at least one of us…’

Because the terrain was like this, he could not expect anything more.

If it were a simple failure it might be fine, but now there was information to deliver to Duke Roderick. Somehow, at least one had to survive and leave.

Harris nodded. It was the promised signal. One of his subordinates immediately opened his mouth.

“I will speak without lies.”

Melissa’s gaze turned reflexively. The other shadows throwing their bodies was almost simultaneous.

Also, the light cast by Melissa’s sword visited them together.

“Nowhere!”

Traces like a dragon clawing with its talons remained on the plain. The four-pronged wounds caught one assassin each.

Even though she displayed a truly overwhelming martial prowess, Melissa simply looked at the single remaining assassin calmly.

“Will you open your mouth?”

“No way.”

Following a self-mocking voice, the assassin coughed up black blood. It was the result of a conclusion that he could not escape. The poison that spread throughout his entire body in an instant turned his body dark red.

Melissa frowned.

It was not because it was gruesome to look at, but simply because it was unpleasant.

Those who did not respect their own lives were something she could not get used to, no matter how many times she experienced them.

Melissa turned around. Rather than thinking about the collapsed assassins, the safety of the surviving trainees was important.

“…You did well to hold out.”

Could this appearance be explained simply by the expression ‘you did well’? Melissa felt it was funny even after saying it herself.

They were merely trainees at best.

A time when it was still early to head out to the battlefield, and they should be learning theoretical things in a safe place.

However, the two trainees had appearances as if they had barely returned alive from a battlefield.

“Thank you for the help.”

“Thank you! Thanks to you, I survived!”

Henry was in a state of being almost covered in cuts all over his body. Fortunately, there seemed to be no fatal wounds, but the bleeding was considerable.

Austin’s condition was more serious.

His ankle dangled as if it would break off, and his right arm hung limply, as if it had completely lost strength.

To think he wore such a joyful laugh even in that kind of situation.

“…We must treat you first. We will talk in detail a bit later.”

“Do we have to return to the royal capital?”

“No need.”

Melissa rummaged through her breast. Beneath her light armor lay a healing potion prepared for unforeseen situations.

Melissa handed one bottle to Henry and Austin each.

“Drink.”

“Thank you.”

Henry drank first. Austin also emptied the potion bottle.

Instantly, a pure white light enveloped the bodies of the two, and soon their wounds were completely recovered.

“Wow…”

Austin was in awe. Because even back when he stayed at the Duke’s estate, he had never encountered a medicine of this level of performance.

“It is holy water blessed by a bishop-level cleric. It is an item with the thickest concentration among holy waters. All wounds should be recovered.”

“I feel like I’ve actually become sturdier than before fighting, though?”

“Perhaps.”

In the process of recovering from wounds, the body becomes sturdy. Since it was a medicine that could recover everything as long as it was not a wound to the extent of severing limbs, it was not unreasonable for a comment like Austin’s to come out.

The enemies collapsed, and the wounds were recovered.

Only then did Melissa bring out the content she was most curious about.

“Henry Camilton.”

“Yes.”

“Did an outsider intervene by any chance?”

“There was none.”

“Three had collapsed.”

“I struck them down.”

Struck them down? Melissa doubted her own ears.

Each and every assassin was at least 5-star level.

When Melissa arrived here, the enemy Henry was facing was the 6-star team leader.

“I was lucky. The enemies were caught off guard. At first, the enemy I faced was only one.”

“You were lucky?”

“Yes.”

They couldn’t have truly been off guard. What Henry meant was surely that they had lunged while misjudging Henry’s skill.

Also, Austin’s skill as well.

“So you struck down three, held out against a 6-star, and in the meantime, Austin survived against the rest.”

“Yes.”

“In the royal family…”

Attempting to speak reflexively, Melissa swallowed her words.

The royal family had many spots.

It was an excessive statement to bring up against merely a trainee.

“Let’s move. The mission site?”

“It is the Ryugo Viscounty. Are you coming with us?”

“You were attacked merely ten minutes ago. Surely you aren’t planning to move alone in this situation?”

Melissa asked as if it was only natural, and Austin stepped forward.

“What you worry about won’t happen.”

“It won’t?”

“When things go wrong, Duke Roderick first draws back. Then, when he confirms there is no problem, he tries again. He’s probably extremely flustered by now, you know?”

“How long has it been since you left the family?”

“It has been about three years now.”

“It is sufficient time for the things you knew to change. I will accompany you. I will take no objections.”

“We are grateful for that, but…”

Austin showed an embarrassed look, but Melissa looked at Henry Camilton instead of replying.

“Thank you.”

Henry also agreed. Melissa took the lead. The corpses were left behind.

“Let’s move.”

***

“Oh my, oh my! I do not know how to express my gratitude for a Royal Knight visiting such a humble place! Indeed, His Majesty looks into the pain of the kingdom’s people!”

As soon as Viscount Ryugo confirmed Melissa’s identity, he was taking an extremely low posture.

A Royal Knight. And a high-ranking member who had reached the 7-star level was a resource too precious for a countryside Viscount to face.

“It is not a mission I am performing.”

“Just you making the trip brings so much relief. Are the two beside you also Royal Knights?”

“They are trainees of the academy.”

“I see! Using those vicious guys merely as training opponents… Truly, you are amazing! Trainees, if you need anything, please tell me without reservation!”

Viscount Ryugo’s low posture extended to Henry and Austin as well.

Had only the two of them come, this would never have happened, but it was because a Royal Knight was standing beside them.

In Ryugo’s mind, a conclusion had already been drawn long ago that Henry and Austin were geniuses scheduled to join the Royal Knights soon.

Naturally, Viscount Ryugo offered the cleanest rooms in his castle as lodgings.

One for Melissa, and one for Henry and Austin.

[He seems to be walking on eggshells around Melissa lol]

[Yeah, if it’s one room each, he’d have to provide something more to Melissa]

[She seems to be of a personality that doesn’t care about such things?]

[She is the absolute boss, what else can he do lol. He has to crawl on his own]

‘At times like this, they show similar reactions.’

Henry was looking at the chat window. He was sitting on a soft bed.

From the moment the battle started until now,

the stream had been continuously running, and the atmosphere of the chat changed according to the changing situations.

‘When we fought, it would have felt like a fun spectacle had emerged. Exactly where does this difference arise?’

How long had it been since he started streaming?

During that time, Henry had vaguely thought of it as ‘magic’ and brushed it off, but today he could not do so.

When Henry parried the assassins’ swords,

because the reactions the viewers showed were of a type that went far beyond Henry’s common sense.

It was a different problem from occasionally not understanding the viewers’ expressions. For that was merely no different from a language barrier.

Yet in the battle that took place today,

Henry felt as if the viewers were something other than human.

‘In ordinary situations, they are no different from me, but… yes, if they are beings who do not feel the fear of death.’

In daily situations, or duels and such, there was no way Henry would die. Even if he was severely injured, treatment was not a difficult task.

But the battle that took place today was different.

It was a situation where he could lose his life at any moment if he was careless, and Henry had to cut the opponent’s throat.

Even the Royal Knight, who would be familiar with death, wore a look of worry for Henry.

Be it a physical problem, or a mental problem.

But the viewers were not like that. It was merely a fun scene, and it was not even an attitude of looking down on Henry.

The viewers were still immersed in the character named Henry. It was not that they had changed. It had always been like this, but Henry had simply experienced a new situation for the first time today.

‘Still, I can’t quite accept it, though.’

No matter how much he thought, it was a series of reactions where Henry had no choice but to tilt his head.

To think that they worried about things like the surrounding reactions at the academy as if it were their own business, yet when he clashed swords with assassins, they admired and laughed.

“Are you okay, Henry?”

Austin asked then. Henry looked at him, wondering what he meant.

“About what?”

“It’s your first time, right?”

“What… Ah.”

He killed a human. For the first time, he felt the sensation of a blade cutting a human. Austin was worrying about Henry.

“I’m fine.”

“As expected, you are a born knight.”

“Rather than that,”

Henry thought it over. Even by his own judgment, the shock was not that great.

Henry felt like he knew the reason.

‘They didn’t seem like humans.’

The assassins did not let out a single groan even until the moment they died. They did not scream, nor did they beg to be saved. They simply collapsed helplessly like logs.

Yet they were threatening. Henry cut the logs to survive. Thinking back, he had felt that way.

[When are you going to the dungeon?]

[I’m so curious about Melissa’s reaction lol]

[There’s no way it’s a trainee’s skill lol]

The viewers also contributed to Henry’s mood.

Henry shrugged his shoulders.

“Since we’ve done this much, it should be quiet for a while, right?”

“It will be quiet. If Sir Melissa helps, it will last quite a long time.”

“Enough to wander around freely?”

“At least for a few months.”

“What if Sir Melissa helps in earnest?”

“We will be safe until graduating from the academy, and to secure safety beyond that…”

Austin tilted his head.

“Wouldn’t the only way be to join the Royal Knights?”

A group that even Roderick dared not touch.

They followed only the King’s commands, and as seen today, a Royal Knight was someone to whom minor nobles bowed their heads as if they were subordinates.

“Are you planning to?”

“Shouldn’t asking whether I can join be first?”

“It’s obvious.”

“I’m not sure. Whether I should go… Honestly, I feel extremely good right now. So the world outside the royal capital was a place like this, I lived without knowing these things until now. Because I’m feeling that way.”

“What if you had a choice?”

“I wouldn’t go. To me, freedom is a very important value. Since I grew up that way, it can’t be helped, right?”

[True, if you have skill, free knight is the best]

[lol he really covers it with skill alone]

[Frankly, wouldn’t current Austin be treated well wherever he goes? He is a 4-star.]

[Even if he lived as an assassin, the treatment would be better than Roderick lol. Isn’t there something like that? Like a dark assassin group lol]

Austin’s skill was sufficient. It had reached a level where he wouldn’t bow his head wherever he went. In the end, untying the shackles named Roderick was the most important thing for Austin currently.

Springing up,

Henry stood up.

“Let’s go.”

“Where?”

“The dungeon. Sir Melissa will accompany us too. Let’s first show what we can show and then think.”

BJ Swordmaster