Chapter 5 – Savage Age (5)

“S-Sir! You son of a… Argh!”

Unable to bear it, Gerst let out a scream and shook his hand wildly. It was to somehow pull his hand out.

Veloc did not just leave it at that. He intended to make him pay dearly for insulting him and his subordinate.

He did not let go of Gerst’s hand, smiling excitedly and shaking their hands.

“You don’t have to be that happy, I’m glad to see you too, Sir! Hahaha.”

Seen from afar, it looked for all the world like a friendly bonding between close knights.

Seeing this, both the local faction and the emerging faction cast puzzled glances. ‘They aren’t the type of guys to act like that. Strange. Why are they doing that?’

Crack. Finally, the sound of bones breaking was heard.

“Aaaaargh!”

Gerst, whose hand was shattered, screamed at the top of his lungs. But that sound was buried by the orchestra’s cheerful performance just in time. Only then did Veloc let go of Gerst’s hand.

“Heugh, haaaaah.”

Gerst shed a tear and examined his hand.

Dangling.

It was limp like a slime. He looked up at Veloc with a face mixed with pain and fear.

‘Me, losing in physical strength? So defeating Bourbon wasn’t just a fluke?’

“Sir?”

Beside him, Malcolm cast a questioning look. Veloc smiled broadly and offered a handshake to him as well.

A moment later.

Crack.

“Aaack!”

Malcolm’s hand was also shattered. Approaching the two knights who were dripping tears and snot, Veloc whispered quietly.

“Do not mess with me and my squire ever again. If you want to preserve your remaining hand, that is.”

At that bone-chilling voice, goosebumps rose on the napes of the two knights.

The two nodded frantically.

“I… I understand. We, we were in the wrong.”

“If so, you had better clear away those idiots first.”

Veloc gestured toward the squires with his chin. Since they were relatively close by, they knew the situation turning out was strange.

Having stopped picking on Adel at some point, they were looking around like dogs that needed to take a dump.

Gerst and Malcolm summoned their squires. Then, the guys rushed over in a bundle.

“Sir Gerst. Why…”

“Ugh. Shut up! Let’s go!”

Holding their painful hands, the two dragged their squires and headed to a corner of the banquet hall. They wanted to run to a physician right away, but they endured it with superhuman willpower.

It was a gathering convened by the lord’s command. If they left carelessly, it would offend the lord. The two kept putting strong liquor to their mouths to forget the pain.

Veloc laughed looking at that sight. Because there was nothing more unpleasant to look at than incompetent fools acting up. Adel approached from his side. A slight smile was also formed on her mouth.

“What kind of trick did you use?”

“Some worthless guys were showing off, so I broke their hands. They will probably find it hard to hold a sword for the time being. Are you alright?”

“Of course. Something like this, I can easily laugh it off.”

Well. Judging by her actions earlier, she looked ready to draw her sword at any moment. Veloc tilted his head. Then he thought, whatever. But Adel spoke in a voice mixed with concern.

“Still… won’t they hold a grudge?”

“Those fellows?”

“Couldn’t they report it to the lord? No matter how we earned our place by achieving merits, they are people who have assisted the lord for a long time. The lord might show favoritism toward them…”

Veloc let out a hollow laugh at his subordinate’s worry. It was a plausible point, but that was said because she didn’t know the breed called knights well. Things overflowing only with empty honor and pride.

“How could they reveal their own shame themselves?”

Two knights went to teach a newcomer a lesson, only to get crushed instead. And that, too, at a banquet the lord threw for him. No matter how long they had assisted the lord, it was a perfect situation to lose trust.

Even if they threw away their pride to speak of it, it didn’t matter. He intended to leave Roben in a few months anyway.

‘It’s just a temporary nest to avoid the wind and rain.’

Adel nodded at Veloc’s confident boast. If her master said so, then so it was. Since his choices had never been wrong even once.

The two forgot their worries and ate and enjoyed themselves again. The emerging forces who had cleared the area earlier approached again. And they asked about the situation just now.

“Sir. Did that Gerst guy do something?”

“They are men far from honor. They are arrogant and even cowardly. You must be careful.”

‘Guys who ran away as fast as their legs could carry them when they approached are now talking big. Bat-like bastards.’

But there was no need to speak out against them openly. Since there was no need to make enemies unnecessarily.

Social life was equally difficult here or there. Veloc smiled coldly and replied perfunctorily.

At that moment,

the emerging forces nearby murmured again. Veloc frowned at the suddenly changed atmosphere. By now, he was truly annoyed. ‘Who the hell is it this time?’ But this time, it was someone who must not be ignored.

“Pleasure to meet you, Sir.”

As a delicate voice echoed, Veloc turned his head. He saw Veronica approaching with a goblet in her hand. The emerging forces hastily bowed their heads.

“We greet Lady Veronica.”

“You are truly beautiful today as well.”

Veronica, like a ruler’s daughter, dismissed the approaching people with an experienced expression. And then, she stepped close to Veloc.

Along with the scent of heavy perfume unfitting of her age, her slender lips drew an arc.

‘Does she want to look mature?’

“Sir. Won’t you satisfy my curiosity?”

“About what?”

“About the achievement of killing Steel Axe Bourbon.”

The lord’s young daughter shined her eyes with curiosity.

The romance that girls of this age liked. A story of a hero-like knight defeating villains.

It seemed she wanted to hear it directly from a handsome, black-haired youth.

Veloc sighed inwardly. He knew that banquets of the powerful were not simply places to eat and drink. They were arenas for networking battles, and he also had to flatter his superiors. And he had to meet with hostile people as well.

The profession of a knight was more tiring than expected. It wasn’t enough to just fight well.

He also had to consider political situations.

‘It’s exhausting.’

Over the past few days, he had experienced far too many things.

However, Veloc responded with a brighter smile than ever. It was natural. The girl before him was the daughter of the ruler who governed this city.

“It might be a slightly brutal story for a young lady to hear?”

“Hohoho. Sir. Please do not view me as too young.”

“As you wish.”

Veloc began to talk, gesturing exaggeratedly. It was the storytelling of a 21st-century modern person who had encountered all kinds of culture.

The lord’s young daughter soon burst into giggles and clapped her hands. The harmonious sight of the two was like a knight and a princess in a fairy tale.

To receive such attention from the lord’s daughter as soon as he took office. Emotions of jealousy, envy, and envy filled the banquet hall. Among them, Gerst’s group was a sight to behold.

Since they had been beaten instead by the guy they wanted to discipline, and he had even taken away the ruler’s interest. Especially Malcolm’s expression looked as if his lover had been snatched away. Because he had secretly adored Veronica since childhood.

Grind!

Malcolm gritted his teeth.

‘A fellow like you… dares look at the Lady?’

Just as he was about to approach the two while holding his dangling arm, Gerst grabbed his shoulder.

“There is nothing good in intervening right now.”

“But… Sir!”

Malcolm whipped his head around to look at Gerst. A youth’s childish jealousy was written all over his face.

‘Tsk. To think a punk like this is a knight.’ But a well-behaved subordinate was always needed. Gerst hid his true thoughts and shook his head.

“Let us bide our time. He is certainly a grand knight, but fighting isn’t necessarily done only with physical strength, is it?”

There were many methods.

Poisoning, or leading him into a trap when he went on out-of-territory missions. Or hiring assassins. The two possessed the decisiveness and power to put those into action.

Gerst smiled despicably. Realizing the intent, Malcolm reluctantly bowed his head.

“…Understood.”

“Yes, that’s how it should be.”

Gerst smiled slightly, then frowned again.

Because the hand injured by Veloc throbbed. He had twisted it so hard that the bones inside his hand were shattered into pieces. An injury to the extent that he had to focus on recuperating for several weeks.

‘Damn it. This debt will cost you dearly. Black hair. Just you wait.’

The two watched Veloc with chilly eyes.

“Adel. What do you think a sword is?”

“To protect the weak from the strong and elevate honor…”

“Cut the cliché talk.”

When her master replied indifferently, Adel smiled awkwardly. And then she spoke while swinging her sword.

“It is a means to protect my body. At least to me.”

She was obsessed with strength and despised the weak. It was all due to what happened in the past.

Because it was extremely harsh for a powerless girl to live in an era of war.

Woosh!

In the training ground, the sound of brandishing blades was heard along with the quiet conversation of the two. Veloc moved his body to correct Adel’s posture and said.

“Swordsmanship. Although grand secret techniques and ultimate skills exist, its foundation is a killing technique. How to deflect the opponent’s sword and stab them. Can I wound the opponent without getting wounded myself? The principle is simple.”

“In short, it means not getting hit and swinging well.”

Veloc nodded. A few weeks had passed since they settled in Roben.

Befitting a trade city, this place was large and also dirty. Rarely seen other races were easily spotted as well.

Veloc thought it was like looking at a massive distribution warehouse.

Perhaps because the soldiers and knights had decreased due to the aftermath of the war. Veloc and Adel even went out on patrol under the pretext of checking the territory’s security. Naturally, the guards did not listen to a rookie knight.

It was because the influence of Gerst and Malcolm, who held the military power, was acting strongly. Except for Veloc breaking the limbs of a few insolent guards, life here was peaceful.

Veloc adapted to the Medieval Land world while refining his emotional stability and the abilities he possessed. Not just in combat skills, but also in cultural aspects such as social skills, dancing, and chess.

Adel initially could not adapt to her master’s changed personality. But as time passed, she grew accustomed to it. It hadn’t changed all that much.

He had simply become more cautious and warmer. From her perspective, there was absolutely nothing bad about it.

No, rather, it was good. This peaceful life, that was. She smiled secretly.

“The tip of your sword is shaking.”

“Ah. Apologies!”

‘What an idiot. Daydreaming during training. Are you even Sir Veloc’s squire like this?’

Adel shook her head and concentrated once again. Her eyes settled, and the shaking sword found its place again.

“Keep in mind, Adel. Swinging or stabbing is not everything. You can twist the opponent’s blade with the hilt or strike with the pommel. In combat, you must know how to utilize everything.”

Veloc demonstrated from the side.

Adel watched and learned everything, lest she miss a single thing. Instantly, the quiet training ground was filled with heat. At that moment,

Creeeak.

the door opened and an elderly butler walked in. Bowing politely, he stated his business.

“Sir Veloc. The lord is summoning you.”

“The lord?”

Veloc cast a questioning look. This was something that didn’t happen in the future.

In both the previous playthrough and the one before that, he had hung around the territory and reorganized before the war broke out.

The butler conveyed his thoughts.

“He probably has something urgent to entrust to you.”

“Hmm. Understood.”

“Please go ahead.”

Veloc after patting Adel, who bowed politely, Veloc followed the butler to the office. There, the Lord of Roben was sitting in his office, wrestling with piles of documents.

“Ah. You’ve come? Sit down, Sir.”

Veloc sat down while giving a silent nod. Without even casting a look at Veloc, the Lord of Roben spoke while stamping repeatedly.

“The title of lord is indeed a busy one. Without fail, if my eyes don’t reach, something is bound to leak somewhere.”

The Lord of Roben frowned as if tired. Yet, his wrist moved automatically.

For a long time, only the sound of thudding stamps echoed in the office.

‘If this were a game, it feels like a quest is about to pop up.’

Thinking inwardly, Veloc opened his mouth.

“What do those words mean?”

The Lord of Roben finally raised his head from the piles of documents. Looking intently at Veloc, he asked.

“Do you happen to know what cultists are?”

Thanks to the raised difficulty, the future had changed.

Apparently, a hidden quest had popped up.