Chapter 51 – Greed (2)

Belloc stared at the incoming fireball while maintaining his stance of holding the sword. For a brief moment, he had these thoughts in his mind.

‘Why did Kara chant another spell instead of a barrier spell?’

‘Could she chant the barrier spell again right before the guy’s spell hits? Could my sword even slice that fireball?’ and so on.

In his head, the presence of the spell-warding armor was not that significant. It was natural.

Belloc had never once used an ancient relic until now.

Consequently, even when Kara made a fuss about it being the best armor or whatever, it did not feel real. Because of that, Belloc noticed a beat late that the armor he was wearing was glowing.

‘What is this?’

Atop the blackish steel plates, golden lines wriggled as if they were alive.

As the fireball drew closer, the light emanating from the lines grew accordingly.

His developed senses detected a strange energy radiating from the armor.

It was an intangible power that could not be explained in words. Soon, as that power spread from the armor, the surrounding space distorted violently.

That was visible to Belloc’s eyes. He stopped the sword he was about to swing. Due to the power spreading from the armor, the rushing flames trembled and evaporated.

‘Crazy. This was actually real.’ Widening his eyes, Belloc caressed his armor and admired it.

The surrounding reaction was even greater. To their eyes, as the patterns on the armor blinked for an instant, it appeared that the magic simply vanished.

“Beyond distorting the spell, it dispels it?! That makes no sense! No matter how ancient the relic is, it should not be able to do such a thing!”

“The world is always filled with incomprehensible mysteries. Do you still not know that your level is too pathetic to apply your own standards?”

Kara, with a sneer on her lips, delivered a stinging remark. The completely panicked Dmitry could not care about her words. He merely staggered back.

The crystal staff held in his hand trembled pitifully. Soon, his gaze directed toward Gordon and the soldiers.

‘Right, if spells do not work, we can just snatch it with spears and blades.’ Dmitry shouted desperately.

“Sir Gordon! Kill those people quickly! You must not give that bitch time to chant a spell!”

‘This guy?!’

Gordon frowned slightly. He did not appreciate a mere hired mage, who was not even his lord, giving him orders. However, the dark greed inside fanned his heart.

‘If I can just have that armor, there will be nothing to fear in the world. No, even if I sell it and turn it into gold coins, I can buy a castle.’ Wearing a fishy smile, Gordon gave commands to the soldiers.

“Get a grip and raise your weapons! Crossbowmen aim at those guys, and the rest charge! Go!”

Even if the opponent’s spells were blocked, the situation was still messy. Since the spears and blades of dozens of soldiers, the arrows of crossbows, and the middle-aged knight’s trained swordsmanship were targeting the group. However, that was all.

Belloc’s group had already judged numerous demons. To them, the blades of the soldiers before their eyes were too small and insignificant.

“Goddess. Goddess who shines upon me entirely. Here are the crowds intimidating me. Please share your strength to repel them.”

Raising her sword to her chest, Adel quietly chanted a prayer. Then, flames surged around her, creating a wall of fire.

Adel waved her hand. Wriggling and moving, the wall of fire also enveloped Belloc and Kara, smoldering.

‘She is using a barrier now too.’ Belloc was impressed. Just like Adel’s smoothly rolling tongue, her holy power was growing stronger day by day.

“F-Fire!”

“Is it magic?!”

The group received no influence, but the soldiers staggered back, perhaps affected by it. That brief gap was enough.

Gripping the hilt of his greatsword tightly, Belloc rushed out of the barrier. Instantly, his pupils were filled with orange-colored lights. It was a rather pleasant and fantastic sight. However, that scenery was also brief.

Soon, cold reality greeted him. It was a feast of blades.

“The guy came out! Thrust!”

“Die!”

With ferocious shouts, the soldiers thrust their spears. Dozens of spikes shot toward Belloc.

Belloc recalled the scuffle with the soldiers holding spears in the sewers of Loven in the past. At that time, he fought while dodging. What about now? He just had to push forward.

Belloc swung his sword. It was a simple diagonal slash without any technique. However, the speed was too fast. The soldiers’ spears were sliced off before they could touch his body.

Instantly, a gap was created in the tight encirclement. Belloc did not miss this. He pushed his body into that gap. Then, the remaining spears, having lost their target, pierced the empty air.

This is crazy!

Belloc’s steel visor and the soldier’s pupils clashed. They were close enough to see the screaming mouth, shaking pupils, and even the sweat running down the bridge of his nose. Soon, the soldier’s face was stained with pain.

“Ugh.”

Spitting blood, the soldier lowered his gaze. He saw a steel sword protruding through his stomach. By the time the thought ‘It’s cold’ pierced the soldier’s mind, Belloc put strength into the sword he held and made a horizontal slash.

Gritting, the greatsword shrieked, and the soldier next to him, and even the soldiers behind them, were cut down like rotten straw.

Blood and intestines scattered. Torso-less bodies staggered and collapsed to the floor.

It was a very familiar sight to Belloc, but not to Karven’s soldiers. They were terrified by the existence of a swordsman who sliced a person in half right through their armor. A soldier shouted.

“M-Monster!”

Gordon also agreed, sweating coldly. He was a knight who was as experienced and skilled as the age he had accumulated. Therefore, he knew.

That a single-handed fight of dozens to one was impossible. However, the martial prowess of the man before his eyes was denying his dozens of years of knightly life.

Gordon’s eyes rolled around. It was to grasp the situation. The Lord was trembling in fear, wrapping his head in his hands, and Dmitry was engaged with the opponent’s mage. What about the paladin?

‘Damn it.’ Gordon spat out a curse. That bitch was running wild like a warhorse, cutting down or burning the soldiers to death. She looked like an inquisitor from the Holy Kingdom.

Gordon grew desperate. Terrible things that would happen in the future were being drawn in his head. Subordinates being slaughtered en masse, a mage who was groveling after boasting to trust only him, and a terrified master. Gordon wanted to deny this entire situation. Therefore, he shouted loudly.

“S-Shoot arrows!”

“But our allies!”

As the crossbowmen hesitated, Gordon kicked the soldier’s shin hard. The soldier who had spoken groaned and sat down. The middle-aged knight, with bloodshot eyes, pointed at Belloc who was slaughtering the soldiers.

“Shoot if I tell you to shoot! He is a guy who even slices through armor! Do you think he can be dealt with with swords? That is a monster! Kill him!”

Perhaps due to Gordon’s spiteful order, or perhaps to survive, the soldiers aimed their loaded crossbows at Belloc.

Soon, five or six arrows poured toward Belloc. Gordon hoped that monster would die by turning into a hedgehog. He wanted to correct this entire situation.

“Ugh.”

Such a thing did not happen. The arrows merely pierced the backs of their innocent allies.

Noticing the projectiles flying in, Belloc blocked them by using a soldier’s corpse as a shield.

Kicking the soldier with his foot, Belloc pulled out the sword that had been lodged in the stomach. Blood poured out, and the sword that regained freedom wandered once again searching for prey. That appearance, clashing with the corpses piled below, created a rather horrific scene.

A few who survived fled while wetting their pants. Nonetheless, several courageous ones remained. Or they were driven mad by the heat of the battle. A few of those crazy ones charged.

He saw a guy thrusting his sword with a shield forward. Instead of a thrust, Belloc delivered a downward strike. The greatsword flashed.

The wooden shield split apart, slicing even its owner.

Spears and maces flew from front and back. Belloc recovered his sword and slashed horizontally once more. The soldier charging from the front was cut to pieces along with his weapon.

Immediately after, Belloc shifted his body slightly and let the spear of the soldier thrusting from behind deflect off his armor.

The soldier’s posture collapsed. Belloc reached out his hand toward the staggering guy. As his hammer-like hand struck the face, the soldier, whose face collapsed, blew away.

The appearance of the gorgeous hall was now gone. Beneath the chandelier, it was simply filled with corpses.

Due to the flowing blood, the red carpet was dyed muddy, and even the bricks turned red.

Glancing at the mess he had created, Belloc moved his steps. It seemed he only needed to fill a little more. Only the terrified middle-aged knight remained before his eyes. He shouted.

“W-Wait! S-Spare me!”

Belloc kept walking. He was faster than Gordon backing away. He spoke again.

“Money! I will give you money! I was in the wrong. How much do you want?”

It was a desperate voice. Nonetheless, Belloc did not stop. Gordon was entering the range of the sword in his hand.

“Damn it. Aaaagh!”

Gritting his teeth, Gordon charged recklessly. Mindful of Belloc’s greatsword, he lowered his posture fully and shot his sword up like a dagger.

The tip of his sword did not shake, and it was fast. He had not spent his life as a knight in vain.

As a sign of respect for the middle-aged knight, Belloc also replied with the sword in his hand. Regrettably, his sword was faster and longer.

Gordon, whose stomach was pierced, coughed up blood. Dropping his sword with a clang, he raised his gaze.

Beneath the light, the Black Knight wearing the mysterious coat-of-arms armor stood. Clanking open his visor, achromatic black eyes, as dark as the armor, stared at him. The Black Knight opened his mouth.

“Did you not say you wanted to have this armor? Why don’t you put in a bit more strength?”

“Gg-rgrk…”

The middle-aged knight reached out his arm and opened his mouth to say something, but due to bloody phlegm, it was hard to hear. No light of greed was visible in his eyes anymore. Only an obsession with life was filled to the brim.

‘So, you should have checked who you were messing with before doing so.’

Belloc pushed the sword in a bit more. The chainmail snapped, and the surcoat was stained with blood. Soon, even his pupils lost their vigor.

‘It’s slightly insufficient.’ Tilting his head, Belloc pulled out his sword. Right on time, a scream was heard from the high seat of the hall. It was Dmitry’s.

“Ugh. This bitch!”

He saw Dmitry sitting on the floor, having dropped his crystal staff. Whether he had engaged in a rather rough fight, his robe was stripped off. Consequently, his neurotic face with protruding cheekbones was visible as is.

Dmitry, who was panting, rummaged through his bosom. Soon, he pulled out a scroll. He tried to tear the scroll while opening his mouth.

“You’ll see… Ugh.”

The thrown greatsword split the mage’s head. The wall where the sword lodged crumbled with a rumble, and Dmitry’s lifeless corpse fell flat.

Whether the Lord next to him screamed or not, Belloc smiled contentedly. It was because he felt an intense power surging from within. It was a level-up after a long time.

“Right, that is the best way to block spells.”

Belloc turned his head. Kara was frozen with one hand outstretched. Soon, she let out an empty laugh and lowered her arm. Adel, who had put away her sword and shield, was also brushing off the bits of flesh stuck to her armor.

“You have worked hard, Lord Belloc. Are you unhurt anywhere?”

Even before Belloc could speak, Kara spoke.

“Is there anyone who can hurt such a vicious knight? When he even blocks spells now?”

“One must always be careful of the underhanded tricks of cowards. Since one never knows what kind of situation will occur.”

“Well… that is true. Since we are human.”

Shrugging her shoulders, Kara gestured toward Belloc. The two women approached. Kara picked up the recommendation letter lying on the floor and the scroll Dmitry had tried to tear. An interested look hovered in her pupils.

“Hmm… For a fool, he had a rather useful spell scroll, didn’t he?”