Paladin of a Fallen Order (Novel) - Chapter 7 - The Magic Beast

Chapter 7 – The Magic Beast

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Translated by Pratt

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Elbridge glanced at Walter. Walter, though tense, did not seem to fear the magic beast.

‘Thank goodness.’

From behind, the sound of a horse snorting was heard. Turning his head, he saw that Walter’s horse was still holding its ground. A horse that did not run away even in such a situation. It was as brave as its master.

“Take this.”

Walter retrieved the shield hanging from the horse’s flank and handed it to Elbridge. Then he lightly tapped the horse’s flank.

“Live well with your new master.”

Walter’s horse began to trudge away, as if it understood those words.

Toward Marcus, the mercenary who had stopped in a halfway spot instead of fleeing.

Perhaps due to the luck arranged by the God of the Sunshower, Marcus had even acquired a fine horse in this chaotic mess. Elbridge marveled inwardly.

‘Incredibly lucky. Did he make a massive donation on his way here?’

Elbridge and Walter looked forward again.

Thanks to the wolf magic beast drawing slightly closer, the two could examine the magic beast’s appearance in more detail.

The magic beast’s fur looked more like dark metal than animal hide. What a bizarre luster it was.

“It is an enhanced-type magic beast.”

Walter seemed a little surprised.

“Elbridge. Have you seen a magic beast before?”

“Yes. Somehow.”

The types of magic beasts were too numerous to count.

There were cases where animals or plants underwent magic-beastification, and there were also magic beasts whose origins were difficult to guess.

Magic beasts varied not only in form but also in their abilities. The paladins of those days used to arbitrarily classify the types of abilities magic beasts possessed. Enhanced-type, elemental-type, distorted-type, composite-type, special-type, and others…

Among them, the most common type was precisely the enhanced-type.

The ability of an enhanced-type magic beast was extremely straightforward. It was merely stronger, faster in movement, tougher in body, and smarter than an ordinary animal.

‘The problem is that the difference is a bit too large.’

Thud, thud.

Walter dug his heel into the ground.

It was not to create a supporting foot as when hunting a normal wolf, but an action to prop up and support the spear shaft against the ground. No matter how experienced a knight Walter was, he could not take the strength of an enhanced-type magic beast head-on.

And that was precisely the action Elbridge had expected. Elbridge became somewhat pleased.

‘It is a good thing to have a comrade who knows what he must do.’

Tap, tap, click-tap.

The magic beast, which had been walking slowly, began to pick up speed.

It seemed to run lightly at first, but soon reached the speed of a normal wolf sprinting at full throttle. Even then, the magic beast’s acceleration did not stop. Finally, the speed at which the magic beast dashed became faster than a bird swooping down from the high sky.

Walter propped the rear tip of the spear shaft obliquely against a hollowed-out patch of soil.

Then, tightly gripping the spear shaft with both hands and pressing down on it with one foot, he aimed the spear in the direction the magic beast was charging.

“Elbridge. Be careful!”

A normal wolf would have moved to avoid the spear. However, the magic beast did not try to cleanly dodge the spear Walter propped up. Instead, twisting its body slightly, it thrust its long snout forward, attempting to bite Elbridge and Walter.

However, because that was a movement Walter and Elbridge had anticipated, the two naturally leaned their bodies to dodge the magic beast’s snout.

Immediately after the magic beast’s snout snapped at thin air, the firmly fixed spearhead made contact with the magic beast’s flank.

Screeech—

However, rather than the sound of steel digging into flesh, an unpleasant sound of metal sliding against metal was heard. The magic beast already knew the spearhead could not tear its flank.

Walter muttered.

“It’s clever, and disgustingly tough to boot. It’s like it’s wearing armor instead of hide.”

The magic beast that had bypassed the two turned around. Now, the distance between Walter and the magic beast was about twenty paces.

Growl—

The growling breath of the magic beast was heard clearly.

Elbridge stepped forward with his sword and shield, standing between Walter and the magic beast.

“Elbridge. Will you be alright?”

“I have to be.”

Elbridge extended his sword to aim at the magic beast, thrusting his shield forward to hide the movements of his upper body as much as possible.

The magic beast kicked off the ground once more. It was a fast and light movement that did not suit its bulk, but it was not as fast as when it was sprinting earlier.

Elbridge thought.

‘Is it the forepaw, or the maw?’

The magic beast lunged its snout toward Elbridge’s head.

A hot, damp, foul-smelling breath suddenly exhaled and enveloped Elbridge. It was familiar.

Instead of hastily thrusting his shield, Elbridge opened his eyes wide and looked inside the magic beast’s maw.

Inside the magic beast’s maw, teeth as sharp as daggers grew densely in several rows. The number of teeth easily seemed to be in the hundreds.

“Heh!”

Elbridge’s left arm holding the shield moved by a hair’s breadth. The top portion of the metallic shield wedged into the magic beast’s maw.

The magic beast bit the top of the shield as if annoyed and shook its head violently. Like a branch shaking in a storm, Elbridge’s gaunt body was tossed about along with the shield.

No matter how skilled Elbridge was, he could not swing a sword in this situation.

A moment later, Elbridge was flung away.

“Elbridge!”

Without replying, Elbridge rose from his spot and checked the condition of his body and shield.

His left shoulder creaked. The upper portion of the metallic shield was shredded to tatters.

‘…I reacted out of habit.’

In tense moments, embodied habits tended to take precedence over cool reason and precise judgment. Therefore, Elbridge had also unwittingly moved according to habit.

Of course, it was not a good choice. Since Elbridge could not harbor holy power now, he could not withstand the magic beast’s strength, and since he had not been bestowed the Goddess’s divine authority, he could not prevent the shield from being destroyed.

‘I know I shouldn’t rely too heavily on the shield… but there is no other suitable way.’

However, there was a gain.

Elbridge had clearly seen the inside of the magic beast’s maw. No metallic luster was visible on the red flesh inside the magic beast’s maw.

‘It is certain that this is an individual that has not undergone magic-beastification for very long.’

When Elbridge did not answer, Walter called out Elbridge’s name again.

“Elbridge! Are you alright!”

“I am fine, Sir Walter. And I have something to tell you.”

“Speak.”

“We must aim for the inside of that magic beast’s mouth, or its eyes. Unlike its steel-like outer hide, the inside of its body will be soft.”

“…Understood.”

“We won’t have many opportunities. Even if it is dangerous, we must bring a conclusion to this as quickly as possible.”

“I will try.”

Elbridge hoped that while he blocked the magic beast’s attacks, Walter would cut off the magic beast’s breath.

The magic beast’s bulk was almost twice that of a normal wolf. Naturally, its snout was also that much longer.

For Elbridge to drive a sword into the magic beast’s maw, he would have to insert his arm into the snout at least up to his elbow.

Since that would surely turn Elbridge’s arm into a rag under the multiple rows of teeth, it was ideal for Walter, who held a long spear, to cut off the magic beast’s breath.

‘Can Sir Walter pull it off?’

It would not be easy. However, that was the best option. Without a doubt.

Walter raised his spear. The height of the shaft was at his flank. It was a posture to thrust the spear forward with full power. Tension made Walter’s breath ragged.

Huff, huff.

Elbridge confirmed Walter’s position and posture, then looked forward again.

And slowly waving his shield, he drew the magic beast’s attention.

“Now, over here.”

The magic beast lunged at Elbridge and swung its forepaw. Elbridge threw his body to dodge the claws by a hair’s breadth.

This time, the magic beast’s snout flew in. Instead of blocking the teeth with the shield, Elbridge shoved the snout with the flat of the shield, throwing his body using the counterforce.

‘Fortunately, its movements aren’t complex.’

Of course, Elbridge was the only one who thought the magic beast’s movements were simple. Walter stared blankly at Elbridge’s combat, which bordered on acrobatics.

‘My word…’

In a situation where a single slip meant death, Elbridge was absorbing the magic beast’s attacks with miraculous movements. However, what surprised Walter even more was the behavior of the magic beast, not Elbridge.

While focusing all its nerves on Elbridge, the magic beast was unwittingly drawing closer to the front of Walter. To a position perfectly suited for Walter to thrust his spear.

‘He can lure the magic beast in his intended direction even while moving like that?’

While Walter was in awe, Elbridge swung his sword-wielding right arm in a grand arc.

As the shieldless right arm moved instead of the left shield-arm that had been defending all along, the magic beast instinctively thrust its snout forward, following Elbridge’s right arm.

Elbridge shouted.

“Now!”

Walter, who had been watching the battle in a daze, gasped.

However, no detailed explanation was necessary. Because the wide-open maw of the magic beast, and the bright red, dark throat beyond it, were fully visible.

“Hup!”

Walter thrust his spear like lightning.

However, the problem was that his reaction was slightly late. The magic beast hastily closed its wide-open maw, biting Walter’s spear.

‘Dammit!’

Walter desperately pulled the spear to drag it out of the snout. The shaft bent slightly.

Vast guilt enveloped Walter. To think he had lost a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because he was distracted by spectating the fight in this urgent situation?

Walter’s heart sank.

‘The defeat of this battle is entirely my responsibility. Without any excuse…’

However, Elbridge did not press Walter. He was merely busy moving his body as he had been doing up until now.

Actually, it was only natural. Since Elbridge had not expected Walter to pierce the magic beast’s vitals in a single try.

While in this era, having experience fighting magic beasts three times made one a decent veteran knight, two hundred years ago, a knight who had fought magic beasts three times was barely treated as an apprentice.

Rather, what irritated Elbridge was the magic beast’s cunning response, not Walter’s clumsy reaction. Once its mouth had been attacked, the magic beast rarely opened its snout.

‘Cunning bastard.’

Elbridge shouted.

“The eye is also a vital spot!”

It was true. However, Walter still lacked confidence. He had failed to pierce the wide-open maw, so there was no way he could accurately pierce the eye of the magic beast as it rampaged like mad…

“Now!”

Yet, regardless of what Walter thought, Elbridge stubbornly created an opportunity.

Walter threw away all hesitation and thrust his spear. This time, the problem was a lack of skill. Instead of digging into the magic beast’s eye, Walter’s spear hit the magic beast’s forehead and bounced off.

“Dammit!”

This failed attack was far more fatal than the last.

The first reason was that the slightly bent spear shaft bent even more severely, and the second reason was that Walter’s attack toward the eye had thoroughly drawn the magic beast’s interest.

Roar!

The magic beast lunged at Walter, leaving Elbridge behind. Elbridge also had no way to block the magic beast.

Just as the magic beast’s forepaw, rushing toward Walter, was about to tear Walter’s upper body apart, an entirely unexpected event occurred.

Neigh!

Out of nowhere, a horse burst in from the side, naturally spun its body around, and kicked the magic beast’s jaw with its hind hooves.

Crack!

“…?”

Since it was such an abrupt situation, even Elbridge could not immediately grasp the situation.

Elbridge looked in the direction the horse had appeared from. The mercenary Marcus lay sprawled on the ground.

“Marcus!”

He had thought Marcus fled on Sir Walter’s horse, but it seemed he had ridden the horse back to try and help the two.

However, because Marcus was a mercenary and not a knight, he had not mastered horsemanship. It was only natural that Marcus was thrown off the horse after it ran just a few paces.

Yet, his lacking horsemanship saved Marcus’s life. Because the enraged magic beast’s forepaw struck the horse instead of Walter.

The horse’s head was blown away as blood and flesh scattered.

“Selen!”

Walter cried out the name of the horse he had spent so long with.

However, Elbridge became grave for another reason rather than the horse’s death. He had only now confirmed that Walter’s spear shaft was completely bent. A bent spear could not pierce the magic beast’s vitals.

Cornered, Elbridge thought urgently.

‘What should I do?’

At that moment, the magic beast’s maw, slightly pried open thanks to being kicked by the horse’s hind hooves, caught Elbridge’s eye.

It was a split second. A time far too short to establish a concrete and systematic plan.

However, Elbridge’s experience and instincts whispered that the final possibility lay in that slightly pried open maw of the magic beast. Therefore, Elbridge extended his right arm holding the sword into the inside of the magic beast’s maw.

The teeth of the magic beast, growing in multiple rows, brushed against Elbridge’s forearm from above and below.

‘Almost succeeded…’

However, right before the tip of Elbridge’s sword could lodge deep into the magic beast’s throat, the magic beast snapped its maw shut. The magic beast’s teeth gouged deeply into Elbridge’s forearm.

A pain that turned his mind white surged over him.

Should he follow instinct here and drag his arm out of the magic beast’s maw, even if belatedly?

No. The paladins of the Order of the Rusty Shield used to say that the solution was always ahead, never behind. And that was always true.

“Aaaaargh!”

Elbridge threw his entire weight onto his right arm. Then, he shoved his half-shredded arm even deeper into the magic beast’s throat.

Past Elbridge’s forearm, almost up to his shoulder vanished inside the magic beast’s maw.

Elbridge wished for only one thing.

‘Let my grip hold onto the sword firmly.’

And at the very next moment, Elbridge realized his wish had been granted. Because the magic beast’s reaction differed from before.

The magic beast’s Adam’s apple was seen convulsing.

Letting out only gurgling, choking sounds, the magic beast could not rampage wildly as before.

“Walter!”

Walter rushed at the magic beast holding the spear shaft that was bent in the middle. Then, choking up his grip on the spear, he drove the spearhead into the magic beast’s eyeball. Just as Elbridge had rummaged through the wolf’s brain through its eye a few days ago, Walter’s spear reached deep inside the magic beast’s head.

‘…It worked!’

The magic beast stiffened as if struck by lightning, and then its maw stretched wide open.

Walter felt it instinctively. With this single blow, the magic beast had died. It was truly a marvelous exploit. To think only two people had slain a magic beast? Other knights would not believe this tale of valor.

However, immediately after, Walter’s face was enveloped in horror. Because Elbridge’s right arm, which had become nearly a shredded rag, was revealed from inside the magic beast’s maw.

“E… Elbridge!”

The wound is too large and deep. The bleeding is too severe.

Even if they wrapped Elbridge’s arm with bandages right away, the probability of Elbridge surviving did not seem high.

At that moment, Elbridge shouted.

“The heart, the heart…”

Walter did not understand precisely why Elbridge was talking about the heart.

However, if it was that young man, if it was Elbridge, he must have some idea. Thinking as such, Walter took out the sword that had been wedged in the magic beast’s throat, and repeatedly struck the magic beast’s belly hide like chopping with an axe.

Clang, clang!

Between Walter’s sword and the magic beast’s belly hide, a metallic sound resounded. Though it was better than its back hide, the belly hide was also incomparable in toughness to a normal animal.

Yet, Walter stubbornly pierced the magic beast’s hide, opened the belly hide, and extracted the magic beast’s heart.

Walter handed the heart, which was as large as a human head, to Elbridge.

“Here it is. But what are you planning to do with the heart?”

“I am going to offer it to the Goddess.”

Despite being in a life-or-death situation, Elbridge’s voice was calm from start to finish. Of course, Walter could not understand such an attitude.

“My friend, you are a mercenary, aren’t you? There is no way a deity would accept such a thing.”

Walter’s parents were a priest and a scholar.

Therefore, Walter knew that a deity’s power does not shine upon a single person alone.

A deity’s power is not infinite.

Therefore, gods did not look at only one person. If a god watched over only the most desperate person, others would be pushed out of the god’s sight.

Just because a most desperate moment arrived did not mean everyone could overcome their difficulties with divine grace. In the end, a person is bound to face a situation where they must overcome difficulties with their own strength.

‘Even paladins are subject to that, so how could a mercenary…’

Yet Elbridge was still composed.

“She will surely accept it.”

“Just stay still. I will try to stop the bleeding somehow.”

“It is fine.”

Elbridge placed the magic beast’s heart on his shield and knelt.

Seeing that, Walter was terrified.

“Stay still! The bleeding gets worse because you’re moving!”

“I said it’s fine.”

“What do you mean fine! Lie down this instant!”

Elbridge looked at Walter and laughed, completely out of character for the situation.

And he spoke clearly.

“Would you like to make a bet?”

“What bet?”

“The Goddess must be watching over me. Because our Goddess will go under without me. She will save me even if she has to take out a loan.”

“What on earth is that…”

At that moment, a hand reaching out from the side caught Walter.

It was Marcus. Marcus, who had fallen from the horse and rolled on the ground, stood there with a slightly sheepish expression.

“…Sir Walter. Just leave him be. They say even a dead man’s wish should be granted.”

With a pale face, Elbridge burst into laughter once more.

“Goodness. You’ll say anything in front of a living person.”

Kneeling before the shield holding the magic beast’s heart and placing his left arm against his chest, Elbridge began his prayer.

“Goddess. Are you watchi—”

However, Elbridge’s prayer could not continue.

Because the moment Elbridge’s prayer began, a brilliant pillar of light shot down from the dim sky and enveloped Elbridge.

“…”

Walter and Marcus resolved to convert.