Chapter 91 – Karma (1)

In an instant, the surroundings brightened and an intense flash erupted.

Kweeeeeek!

The manticore screamed at the electric current shaking its body. However, it shook its head and quickly gathered its senses. Then, before Belloc’s sword could reach it, it kicked off the ground and flew into the sky.

Bastard. It is fast and even sturdy. As the greatsword, having lost its target, kicked up useless dust, Belloc clicked his tongue. Right then, Cara’s voice came from behind.

“A manticore’s claws can slice even rocks like soup. Its hide is the same. It is extraordinarily tough and thick. It is to the extent that it can deflect crossbow bolts and even possesses resistance to spells.”

Indeed, seeing how it blocked the spear, it was no ordinary creature. Belloc spoke.

“You’re saying that monster is trickier than I thought.”

Cara nodded readily.

“Why do you think a manticore is called a monster that only appears in myths? It’s because it’s that tricky and dangerous. The moment one appears, an entire region is devastated and lords posting bounties is not something that happens for no reason. Moreover… judging by its size, it has eaten many people. It’s bound to be twice as strong as an ordinary manticore.”

Cara furrowed her brows at the appearance of a monster that seemed straight out of a storybook. However, there was no fear in her expression. Only an abundance of annoyance was smeared on her beautiful face. She raised her head along with Belloc. Atop the back of the monster blocking the sun, the robed woman hung limply, twitching intermittently. Unlike the demons that defied common sense, a human’s frail body could not withstand his lightning.

She seems like she’s going to die soon anyway. I should have adjusted my strength. I had a lot of things to ask. While Belloc was thinking that, the manticore seemed to have a slightly different idea. The creature sniffed, shook its back, and after tossing off the woman riding it, swallowed her whole in one bite.

The old face’s mouth chewed, and the crunching sound of crushing bones was heard. In his eyes, the manticore’s hide, which had been dried like beef jerky, became moist again and regained vitality. ‘Dammit, eating a meal to recover?’

The ruler of the small village named Cactus Thorn, the mage who possessed a natural talent for training demons, was definitively dead. Adele opened her eyes wide while avoiding the blood dripping from the sky.

“It ate her…?”

“A dog that bites its owner. This is novel in many ways.”

Cara smirked at Belloc’s joke.

“Taming a demon is something that entails great danger. Their hatred and anger are not easily controlled. The moment the master loses strength or weakens, that is exactly what happens.”

Cara smacked her lips, perhaps finding the mage’s death regrettable. Elixirs or spells that could tame monsters were always objects of interest. As a knight and warrior, Belloc had no interest in this. However, he could predict how the upcoming battle would go. Here, the creature’s food was scattered everywhere. It would recover endlessly.

“If I don’t kill it in one blow, it’ll be tricky.” Just as he raised his sword and Adele also gripped her axe, the manticore, which had been flapping its wings and looking down, suddenly let out a bizarre shriek.

Kweeeeeek!

A bizarre metallic scratching sound, which was neither a lion’s roar nor a human’s voice, echoed in all directions. Was it a roar before battle? As the group tensed their bodies, another sound of flapping wings was heard. Soon, another disgusting human skin was added under the sunlight. Belloc let out a dry laugh.

“There was one more. Is it a female?”

Cara was about to ask how he would know that when he wasn’t a monster scholar, but shut her mouth. This was because the face of the newly appeared creature resembled an old woman. Her brown eyes stared intently at the two manticores.

Do they really roll around on the ground and mate with those kinds of faces? Since they have human-like faces, wouldn’t they have human-like aesthetic sensibilities? Can they even get it up? Cara was suddenly shocked at herself for engaging in such useless thoughts. Was it because she had been traveling with a monster-like warrior for the past few months? Her sense of danger had become significantly lower than that of an ordinary person.

-The Apostle is angry!

-R… Run away!

Yes, that is the normal reaction. Watching the villagers’ screaming, Cara licked her lips slightly and shook her head. If not for Belloc, she and Adele would have buried their bones here. This composure arose entirely because he was here.

‘Fool. You are disqualified as a mage, no, as a companion.’ A slight smirk bloomed on Cara’s lips. ‘Instead of being helpful, how long are you going to rely on him?’ Cara held her rapier in one hand and her staff in the other. Then, she spoke in a low voice.

“Adele and I will take one. Belloc, you take one. Let’s face them like this.”

“Haven’t we always done that?”

Cara shook her head. The momentum of the creatures that had been flapping their wings lazily in the distance changed. Their talons jutted out as if they would stab right away, and the fangs around their mouths snarled. They were coming soon. Cara spoke.

“Even if you finish off one of them first, absolutely do not help us. We’ll handle it ourselves somehow.”

“That’s a good idea. Lord Belloc, please.”

Since Adele was originally a proud warrior, she nodded silently. Belloc also nodded after seeing Cara’s eyes filled with determination. If that was what they thought, he had to respect it. Because the two of them were companions. They were not puppets that moved according to his whims.

He slightly moved his footsteps and pulled one arm back. Soon, he quickly threw the wavy-patterned spear in his hand. At the flying flash, the two monsters rushing toward the group in unison were startled and twisted their bodies. In that gap, Cara’s spell exploded.

“O light that pierces all things!”

A sinister purple beam shot out from the tip of her staff. The manticore with the old woman’s face was struck in the belly and fell to the ground. Plaster walls and shacks collapsed noisily, kicking up dust. Cara and Adele did not miss the opportunity. Before the struggling creature could stand up, they quickly kicked off the ground and rushed in.

Grrrrr!

Seeing this, the male quickly twisted its body to help the female. With a thud, the spearhead lodged into the joint of its wing.

Kweeeeeek!

“Where do you think you’re going? You have to play with me.”

Watching the suffering manticore, Belloc drew upon his inner power. The spear acting as a lightning rod trembled, and lightning struck once more. Along with the smell of burning meat, the old man’s face distorted like a malevolent deity. Rather than worry for its mate, the demon’s hatred—wishing to tear the human in front of it to shreds—filled its mind.

The creature folded its wings, shook off the spear, and swung its tail. Spikes the size of an index finger poured down in a barrage. Judging by the black substance smeared on the tips, it seemed he wouldn’t fare well if hit.

“What, poison arrows?” Belloc, as always, pushed the flat of his sword forward, creating a massive shield. While his feet carved a deep furrow and the greatsword made sounds of striking metal, another roar echoed.

“Aaaargh! Get lost! You monster bast—”

*Crunch.* Lowering his sword slightly, Belloc looked ahead. The manticore that had burst out from a half-collapsed house was chewing with its bright red mouth. Victim remnants, such as intestines and bone fragments, still clung to its fluffy mane. In that manner, the creature ate humans and recovered its body. Flesh filled the pierced wing joint, and its blackened hide regained its luster.

Kikiki.

The monster licked its forepaw with its tongue and sneered. Then, it tried to fly up again. At that moment, its body tilted. It was because its body balance was off. Soon, a burning pain was felt in its shoulder joint again. The old man’s pupils rolled. A piece of iron that looked like a giant hammer was firmly embedded in the ground. Behind it, a chunk of its own flesh lay rolling on the ground.

“Coming down to the ground has hastened your death.”

Kraaaa-ggh!

At the chilling voice echoing in its ears, the manticore instinctively swung its forepaw. Belloc supported his sword like a shield and blocked it. A metallic sound, unbelievable for a clash between talons and steel, reverberated. It was like lightning striking. He was unaffected. Only the furrow beneath his feet grew deeper, and the veins beneath his black armor bulged a bit more. With a short breath, Belloc pushed his sword upward. Then, an incredible thing happened. The monster, which was over ten meters in length, fell flat on its back.

The manticore opened its eyes wide, and the villagers watching the battle through the cracks in windows and doors also gaped. Belloc did not care. He simply gripped the sword he had used to block with both hands and raised it high into the sky. “From now on, I will strike you down and split you in half.” It was a specimen of action carrying a highly intuitive and resolute will.

Urrrgh!

A long shadow was added to the massive silhouette. The old face distorted unsightly. However, an obsession with life still remained in its eyes. The creature slipped its tail between its legs and fired spikes like a fountain. It was an attack as threatening as a bomb detonated at point-blank range. At the critical moment, Belloc’s body moved in a blur.

Just like before. It was a bizarre gesture that deceived the monster’s senses, which were several times sharper than a human’s. To him, he had simply kicked off the ground, but the monster did not know this. It merely looked around, and in the blink of an eye, its head was split.

“A mosquito-like bastard causing trouble.”

Belloc shook off the blood from his sword and slung it on his back. Then, he summoned back the spear that had been embedded somewhere. Resting the spear on his shoulder, he strolled away. Having fought so noisily, the village was nearly half-destroyed.

Houses were burning, and many people were dead. However, Cara and Adele were perfectly fine. Rather, the one driven into a corner was the female manticore. Its tail was already cut off, and blood gushed like tap water from holes pierced all over its body. It looked like it would die of blood loss before long.

“Adele! Stay close! Don’t give it room to fly up!”

“I know! Hurry up and prepare the next spell!”

Adele rushed forward as she spat out those words. The lion’s claws flew, but she had a shield. The emblem of the Goddess Helena appeared, and a sound like colliding glass walls resonated. Adele, who was creating a protective barrier with one hand, shook her arm. Then, holding the axe with both hands, she spread her legs wide.

“Die!”

As much as her stable posture, the strength in Adele’s grip unleashed a terrifying power. The axe, falling like lightning, finally pierced the creature’s hide and wounded its flesh. When the creature let out a groan, she muttered with her lips and chanted a prayer. The flames of holy power exploded with a bang, tearing the creature’s flesh apart.

The monster’s screams grew louder. It shook its head to and fro to steady its shaking vision. Soon, opening its massive mouth, it lunged at Adele. It seemed to plan on swallowing her whole.

Adele firmly gripped the axe handle and tucked the back end under her armpit. Then, she thrust it forward like a spear. Teeth and metal sparked with a rapid clanking. As her feet dug deep into the ground, cold sweat dripped down her face. A single slip-up, and she would be eaten alive. Adele shouted with effort.

“Ca…ra. Are you not done…”

“It’s ready. Sorry I’m late.”

The voice came from right beside her. Cara plunged the rapier in her hand into the manticore’s mouth. Then, pushing her staff inside, she released the spell she had prepared. The manticore’s belly swelled like a balloon. This was because a bright red fireball had exploded, burning its insides.

Grrrr…

Leaving behind the monster that was trembling and convulsing, Adele shielded Cara and rolled on the ground.

“Get down!”

The monster’s belly exploded. Blood and flesh scattered in all directions. “Are you some movie protagonists? Why is it so flashy?” Belloc walked over with a blank expression through the street that had become even more of a mess. He then helped up Cara, who was screaming, and Adele, who was cursing while shielding Cara’s head. Whether they were experiencing ringing in their ears, both of them were frowning deeply. Adele spoke.

“Are you finished?”

“Of course. It seems things have been cleared up on this side as well.”

“It was a bit dangerous, but… shooting it inside was the best way. No matter how much of a monster it is, it can’t train its organs or heart.”

Cara let out a dry laugh and staggered. The aftereffects of the battle seemed to linger. Belloc gently wrapped his arm around her shoulder to support her and spoke.

“Even if I want to dig for info, since the witch who was the ringleader is dead, there’s no way. We just have to leave.”

“Hmm… indeed. I will pack the luggage.”

Adele frowned as she spat out those words. She had gone through dog-tired labor to kill the monsters, but gained nothing. No, rather, this was close to a good deed. In the end, they had gotten rid of a source of trouble for the bandits who had tried to harm them. At that moment, her heart churned.

The Goddess seemed to whisper that she shouldn’t have such profane thoughts, and that as a member of the order, she must know how to love her enemies. Of course, Adele thumped her chest and spat out a curse.

“Damn it. Shitty Helena. Do not spout that kind of dog shit logic to me. Because before I am a paladin, I am Lord Belloc’s knight.”

‘What’s wrong with her again?’ While Belloc was bewildered, Cara, who was in his embrace, asked with shining eyes.

“Belloc. How did you kill the manticore?”

“I split its head with my sword.”

“What about its hide? Are its heart and organs intact?”

“Since I killed it in a single strike, they should be, right?”

Cara’s eyes grew much larger. Having seen this many times, Belloc knew well that this was when her curiosity as a mage was triggered. Sure enough, the answer that popped out of Cara’s mouth was exactly what he expected.

“Armor made from manticore hide is always a treasure among treasures, boasting top-grade quality. Moreover, strange power dwells in its heart and organs. It can be called the best research material for a mage.”

When Cara spoke with great excitement, Belloc scratched his head. “So…”

“You want me to harvest it?”

Cara politely clasped her hands and bowed her head.

“Please! Of course, I’ll lend a hand too!”

“It is not a task for Lord Belloc to do. Leave it to me.”

Adele, who would normally have delivered a sharp rebuke telling her not to say such nonsense, readily stood up for Cara. ‘What’s gotten into her?’ Belloc felt that their relationship was gradually changing. And while he was simply happy about this phenomenon, he also felt a trace of anxiety.

‘If I return home, what will happen to their relationship?’ But soon, that thought vanished from his mind. No, he made it vanish. Because there was nothing more important to a knight than fighting a battle and acquiring trophies.

The moment they were about to move their footsteps, the villagers who had been hiding inside their houses stealthily came out. Then, they blocked the group’s path. ‘These bastards?’