Chapter 11 – Revenge (3)

Gerst, who had behaved politely at least on the surface, threw away his mask. Malcolm was flustered but soon nodded his head.

Yes, if they were going to die anyway, they intended to try whatever they could. They might even escape this place by taking the lord and his daughter hostage.

As his life hung by a thread, the past of having loved Veronica vanished into the fog.

The two, having completed their thoughts, soon rushed at the lord and his daughter.

“They were more insolent than I thought!”

“G-Guards!”

“Aaaack!”

Priest Anton chanted a prayer. The Lord of Roben shielded his daughter. But all of that was too slow.

Two cold blades flew in.

Right at that moment, Veloc stepped in. His legs accelerated in a burst. Veloc, who crossed the hall in an instant, drew his sword and deflected the swords of the two.

With a metallic sound echoing, the two backed away slightly due to the recoil.

“Ugh.”

Their hands tingled. Though it was a brief clash, Gerst and Malcolm could tell.

‘This black-haired bastard. He is filthy strong.’ But they couldn’t back down either. Since their lives were on the line. The two filled themselves with venom.

“Sir Veloc!”

Adel drew her sword and quickly approached, but Veloc stopped her.

“Adel. Protect the priest and the lord.”

“But…”

“I’m enough on my own.”

“Understood.”

“Wa… Wait a moment. My spell will soon…”

“Please follow quietly.”

Adel roughly snatched Anton, who was chanting a spell fragmentedly. Placing him beside the trembling lord and his daughter, she stood in front of them as if guarding them.

Veronica whispered.

“The knight is in danger! There are two of them!”

“My daughter is right. Helping your master even a little…”

If Veloc died right now, there was no telling what plight the father and daughter would face.

Although even the lord spoke that way, Adel shook her head. No, rather, she crossed her arms leisurely.

“Please believe in Sir Veloc.”

Despite the squire’s strong confidence, the two wore anxious expressions. Because, by common sense, it was a one-on-two fight.

And that, not between ordinary people, but a confrontation between killing experts. Such a duel would be decided by a hair’s breadth.

The leather boots scraped against the stone floor, producing a sliding sound. Gerst and Malcolm raised their respective swords and moved stealthily.

They slightly changed their sword-holding stances and brandished them threateningly in the empty air.

But the two soon broke out in a cold sweat.

‘There is absolutely no opening.’

The black-haired knight blocking the front was like Mount Tai.

Whether the two shouted curses to provoke him, or prepared to rush in while mixing in feint movements.

Veloc watched them without a single movement, sword in hand.

Swordsmanship was ultimately an extension of the hand. It was brandishing a blade.

Just by looking at the two knights’ strides, hand positions, and where their gazes directed, it was obvious how their swords would extend. How they would leap.

The targets of attack were fixed. Furthermore, time was on Veloc’s side. Since the internal administrator was shouting and summoning soldiers.

“Aaaaargh!”

Were they sick of this endless confrontation?

Eventually. Unable to endure it, Malcolm sprang forward first.

“Malcolm! Damn it.”

Gerst also had no choice but to step forward. Since rushing in simultaneously had the higher chance of victory.

In a brief split second, a thought crossed Gerst’s mind.

‘Yes, if he dealt with the cultists and even my subordinates, he must be exhausted. If I target that gap, won’t there be a possibility?’

As the two charged, Veloc, who was prepared, swung his sword.

Malcolm blocked it with high spirits. However, due to the powerful force contained in the sword, his body tilted. At this rate, his neck would fall to a follow-up blow.

At that moment, Veloc rotated his body and swung his sword toward the rear. It was to hinder Gerst, who had intruded.

Clang!

Gerst clicked his tongue and faltered back. A moment later, a clash took place among the three.

“Die!”

Malcolm and Gerst brandished their swords like crazy from both sides, but Veloc blocked their attacks without a single error.

Dazzling footwork and sword play filled the hall.

“What…”

The Lord of Roben stared at that scene as if possessed. ‘What on earth… does that guy have eyes in his back?’

When Veloc felt he had blocked the opponent’s attack, he spun around and countered.

Or rather, he made the two knights’ attacks entangle with each other using the recoil utilizing the opponent’s force.

Despite being in a one-on-two situation, the ones pushed on the defensive were rather Malcolm and Gerst.

The more Gerst clashed swords with Veloc, the more he realized that his thoughts were wrong.

‘How on earth did this happen! Is he not even tired?’

Wearing heavy armor, wandering the sewers, and brandishing a sword were all things that consumed significant physical strength.

Furthermore, the guy had dealt with the cultist gang and even his subordinates. Today. He had cut down and killed dozens of humans.

Yet, why was he so perfectly fine? Question after question arose.

Gerst did not know. That a system window existed for Veloc.

And that, by investing a stat point in Stamina just now, his physical condition was at its peak.

The duel was decided shortly.

“Aaaaargh!”

The unable-to-endure Malcolm swung his sword with a large motion.

Woosh!

A two-handed attack with all his might. Surely, formidable power was contained within it.

But a large motion accompanied as much of an opening. Veloc’s sword moved strangely.

“What!”

Clang!

Malcolm’s sword bent to an impossible angle. Deflection.

Seizing the opportunity, he struck Malcolm’s neck in one go.

“Guh.”

The body that lost its master rolled on the floor.

Veloc panted slowly. And then, he quickly spun around and brandished his sword at the flustered Gerst.

One from above, one from below, one from the side.

Lightning-like consecutive slashes. Gerst parried the first one somehow, but he allowed the subsequent slashes as they were.

In an instant, his vision flashed, and the strength in his arms and legs drained away.

He dropped his sword with shocked eyes.

“This is nonsense…”

Gerst collapsed, spraying blood from his entire body. Sticky droplets splattered like paint.

The greyish stone floor was dyed red, and a fishy smell filled the hall.

The two knights who had held power within the Roben territory for decades.

Just as much as the position they had built up with blades behind backs, their end was also empty.

They were broken by a far sturdier and mightier sword.

Veloc was about to flick the blood off his sword with a dull face, but hesitated.

“He is still alive.”

Looking at Gerst wriggling at his feet, Veloc felt a sense of accomplishment somehow.

The slightly increased experience points, the crushing of a gloomy conspiracy, and confidence in the martial power he possessed.

It would be strange if he felt bad.

“Didn’t I tell you? Do not mess with me.”

Veloc glanced at Gerst and kicked him.

Thinking about it, what this guy had done until now was extremely hateful.

“Ggggh. St… Stop.”

Choking, Gerst begged for mercy.

Veloc raised his sword to finish the suffering Gerst.

Rather than taking the trouble to show mercy, it would be better to turn him into a handful of experience points.

“Bleeegh.”

At the sight of a human head flying off and collapsing while spraying blood right before her eyes, Veronica grabbed the Lord of Roben’s collar and threw up.

Shortly after, one step late, the soldiers barged in.

“My Lord! What happened? Gasp, what on earth is this…”

Whether the soldiers were startled by the messy situation inside the hall or not, the Lord of Roben patted his daughter’s back and contemplated the situation blankly.

Because Veloc’s shudder-inducing martial power was still left in his mind.

‘Just what is such a man…’

This noble, who was the ruler of a commercial city and thorough in loss-gain calculations, soon finished organizing his thoughts.

He looked at his daughter, who had regained her composure before he knew it. Veronica was dry-heaving repeatedly, yet she was not taking her eyes off Veloc.

Although dirty vomit was abundant around her mouth, a light of adoration was full in her eyes.

It was an era of war. Regardless of high or low status, a man possessing powerful martial strength was enough to move the hearts of many women.

Let alone that he was handsome and his manners were also extraordinary.

The experienced lord saw through his young daughter’s heart. She was deeply infatuated.

A decent idea came to his mind.

The soldiers, who didn’t know the situation going on, tried to bind Veloc, who was covered in blood all over his body, for now.

Consequently, Veloc, who was about to cut off the dying Gerst’s breath, stood stopped.

“Sir Veloc! What on earth is this about? For now, please put down your weapon and follow us…”

“Ugh. Shut up, you idiot bastards!”

Seeing that sight, the Lord of Roben grew angry and threw the wine cup in his hand.

“How dare you speak such nonsense to Sir Veloc, who saved my life and my daughter’s life against the filthy rebels!”

“Gasp.”

‘Fuck. How am I supposed to know that…’

The soldier who spoke held his head and felt aggrieved, but soon bowed his head deeply.

If you’re aggrieved, you should just become successful.

“Please forgive me, Sir. I failed to recognize you.”

“I will.”

As Veloc nodded readily, the soldier let out a sigh of relief.

If it was according to the lord’s words, he was the ruler’s savior.

He would possess power like never before.

“Clean this place up immediately! Sir Veloc, and squire Adel.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

The lord, who had scolded the soldiers, smiled warmly at the two. And then he spoke gently.

“I shall never forget your grace today. This place is a bit… so won’t you join me in my office for now?”

The Lord of Roben spoke, looking around. It was absolutely not a place to talk in a blood-scented hall.

The lord intended to marry his daughter to this young knight.

Moving to the office, the Lord of Roben sat in a plush chair. He intentionally seated Veronica next to him. Of course, after having her cleanly washed and even made up.

The betrayal of Malcolm and Gerst whom he trusted, in addition to the subordinates lost in the war with Bates.

And the comet-like knight who subdued those two in one blow.

The Lord of Roben did not want to miss this. Even if it meant giving away his only flesh and blood, and for the sake of the golden land.

‘The war is lengthening. What is to be trusted now is only money and martial power.’

The Lord of Roben made an offer to Veloc. Asking if he had feelings for his daughter, Veronica.

She was the lord’s only child.

This was equivalent to meaning that if he married Veronica, he would give him this Roben land.

From free knight to formal knight, and even to the position of a lord with land!

A grand achievement and a super-fast promotion. No matter where one went, such an opportunity was rare.

“Father, really…”

Veronica covered her mouth and smiled slightly. It was by no means a sign of dislike. Rather, a face saying ‘you spoke well.’

The appearance of the woman who had been trembling in fear until just now was nowhere to be found.

In a sense, she was a harsh noble who took exactly after her father.

“A marriage with the Lady. I wonder if I am lacking…”

Adel’s face stiffened slightly, and Veloc made an awkward expression.

“What are you talking about! Who would say anything to you, who saved my life and wiped out the wicked heretics!”

But the lord, taking that as humility, laughed it off.

Perhaps because he had survived a crisis of life. The lord kept drinking strong liquor and praised Veloc’s heroic tales. Before long, his face turning bright red, he shouted in a good mood.

“Ah, Sir Veloc. Aside from the proposal, I have something to give you. It will probably suit your fancy perfectly.”

“A gift… you say?”

Curiosity surfaced on Veloc’s face, and the Lord of Roben smirked.