Chapter 172
My Villains Episode 172
42. bridle(4)
After the conversation in the hall, Dionea invited me to her bedroom. She was sitting across from a small car table with a worried expression on her face..
“Please tell me about your lord..”
“……You mean Prince Ulkar??”
“yes. Are you trustworthy??”
I looked shocked at the direct question..
“Actually, I've been attending the prince for about a month at most..”
“You were ordained by Him. 3 You must be better than me, who has never even seen you..”
“ O 99 TH •
It's a pain in the ass.
‘You can't just say, 'I got caught up in the mood and got it accidentally.' I can't even say such pathetic things.
“……First of all, the prince is a brave man..”
So I decided to share my impressions of Ulkar..
“He did not do anything befitting his precious status. To be honest, I thought he was a bit crazy, especially when he burst out laughing in front of 'Crawling Dragon'..”
Dionea, whose face was stiff, burst into laughter..
“okay.”
“and… … . He cared very much for his subordinates. Although the knights and soldiers stayed in good lodgings, the prince himself lived in a tent..”
“It's a tent.?”
“yes. There is a large square in South Harbor, where they pitched a tent and lived there..”
Dionea looked like she couldn't understand, so I quickly explained it to her..
“If you stay in a comfortable place, you don't want to leave? Well, that was the reason.”
“ ah.”
The official title given to Ulkar by the King is 'Watcher'..
It is not a grandiose position such as a patrol officer in charge of security within the kingdom or a border patrol leader to block external enemies, but a patrolman who wanders the kingdom riding on a horse..
Those drawn by the prince's prestige gathered together to form something of a warlord, but no matter what its size, Ulkar was officially nothing more than a ranger..
Dionea also seemed to know this. She nodded and opened her mouth..
“It's harsh. To take on such an arduous and insignificant task as a prince?.”
“It was hard work, but it didn't seem trivial..”
“Is that so??”
“The Prince considered the mission an honor. Because he fights not for land or gold or silver, but to protect the weak..”
“ah……
“That's probably what Sir Ariad meant when he said it earlier. The prince I saw was not someone who helped others in the hope of receiving something grand in return. therefore,”
Somehow I, who was acting as the prince's lawyer, trailed off when I saw Dionea's face. Before she knew it, she was smiling softly..
“……why are you like this?”
“You respect your master..”
“yes‘?”
“3I hope you like the prince. Having a knight as loyal as a sir.”
For a moment, I thought he was being sarcastic, but it seemed like Daionea was genuinely envious of Ulkar..
……It's somehow strange.
Looking back on Kim Seung-su's life, that is, his life in Korea, expressions about loyalty usually did not have a good meaning..
It was a world in which even those who were loyal to the country were criticized for being pushovers. When a company or boss demands loyalty, it is considered unreasonable..
But this world had a completely different view on loyalty. It was quite natural to be loyal to a king, a lord, or someone else noble..
Hmm, it's been quite a while since I've felt this kind of discomfort..
But I've adapted quite well to this world, so I don't say things like 'I'm Ulkar's knight, but I'm not loyal to him.' I just quietly scratched my eyebrows.
The smile lasted for a moment, but Dionea still looked anxious..
“Actually, I don't have a very good relationship with the Bennet family, the Agnig family, or the 3rd prince. Moreover, the situation I am in now is still full of unexpected events and I have to make such an important decision.……
Even as I listened to her words and comforted her, I was also ruminating on the discomfort I had just felt..
30Kim Seung-soo, who has lived in Korea for 20 years, swallowed Poinix, who has lived in Eyland for 20 years. Will I, who has been completed like that, be able to completely blend into this world??
It wasn't a worry that lasted that long. It's thanks to Dionea coming into my arms..
White hands with scars here and there from holding an unfamiliar sword traced my neck and chest..
As skin touches skin, sweet breath tickles my ears, a short whisper catches my lips, and Dionea's strong fingertips dig into the area around my wing bones..
The feelings of discomfort and worries had disappeared to the other side..
…… hmm?" As I was leaving the bedroom after putting Dionea to sleep, I heard a 'swooshing' sound from somewhere. A very subtle sound, like the hem of clothes rubbing against each other..
My current agility on my character sheet is 27.
‘If you add up the points added with ‘Dragon Slayer’s Seal’ and ‘Death King’s Scale Belt’, the total is a whopping 31. It's a level that far exceeds that of the criminal..
Because of this, my senses also developed to the point where they were almost super-talented. Movement within a radius of about 7 or 8 meters can be felt through the skin, not through the eyes or ears..
I used my senses to the fullest and quietly looked around, but there was no sign of anything in particular..
……Did I hear it wrong??
After scratching my head in confusion, I came downstairs. The next place I headed to was the room where Ulkar's knights stayed..
“Sir Phoenics.”
Sir Langbolt, who was sitting next to Sir Ariad at the table, waved his quill and waved a greeting..
“You've arrived at the right time. It was slowly coming to an end.”
He had already changed his clothes and was only wearing a thin shirt. It's very awkward to see him with ink on his hands, with his bulging muscles clearly exposed..
“what are you doing?”
“As you can see, I am writing a letter..”
“To the prince??”
“That's already been written. What I am writing now is a letter to Lady Clarissa. Oh, let me say that again, sir.?”
Sir Ariad, an old knight who received Sir Langbolt's gaze, smiled bitterly..
“I ask you to take action before it is too late, so I will stop here. You can write.”
“good. Hopefully, time will come-”
When I took a quick look at the parchment that Sir Langbolt was holding, I was very impressed by the elegant writing..
“……You write really well.?”
“of course. Isn’t this the basic knowledge of a nobleman?.”
Sir Ariad shook his head at what he said as a joke..
“Sir Langbolt's writing skills go beyond the basics. It is elegant yet has a somewhat quaint feel to it, so aristocrats who value tradition especially like it..”
“So you're using me as a ghostwriter.?”
“You're ghostwriting me?.”
When Sir Ariad looked troubled, Sir Langbolt chuckled and nodded..
“that's right. It's a pretty familiar situation now. Even during training, he keeps calling me to write for him..”
“Not to that extent, Lord Langbolt..”
“Still, it can’t be helped.” He rolled up the parchment, took out a seal, and stamped it with a red seal..
“Sir Ariad has a terrible handwriting, and Ankir scolds him for making him feel sick whenever he holds a quill. Lyam, that guy's handwriting is so stiff... … . It was nice to be able to put off some work when Sir Hülterre was around..”
Lord Hülterre? This is my first time hearing this name..
Just as I was about to ask him a question, Sir Ariad, who had received the letter, approached the fireplace. He took out a thin piece of wood from his pocket, threw it into the fire, and muttered softly..
“Ex ignis, ut aqua.”
What kind of spell was that? The spark that exploded drew a circle. Inside the circle there was only pitch black darkness..
Sir Ariad put the letter into that dark space. Then, with a familiar movement, he pulled the cover and closed the fireplace..
pop!
There was a small sound of something exploding, and Sir Ariad gently opened the fireplace cover to check inside. The fire that was burning just moments ago was gone, and only pitch-black ash was flying in all directions..
“The maids must be having a hard time..”
When Sir Langbolt clicked his tongue, I looked back at Sir Ariad in surprise..
“Sir Ariad, were you a wizard??”
“Not to that extent. It's just a matter of imitating a few spells..”
“So, what was the order just now??”
“I briefly opened the subspace of Multingham's chief wizard..”
“Subspace, this?”
Seungsoo Kim and Phoenix, this is knowledge that neither of them has in their memories..
When I looked confused, Lord Ariad sat back down at the table and explained..
“Among very high-level wizards, there are those who manipulate something called subspace. It is also called ‘pocket dimension’..”
Pocket dimension? I remember hearing that.
While playing Expedition, there was a field that appeared rarely. The name is
‘Was it ‘Pocket Plane of Undergod’??
“I performed a simple spell that allowed others to open that subspace. Of course, you need a medium made by the owner, and you can only put things in and not take them out, but it is a very useful spell..”
“aha••••••
I nodded, and Sir Langbolt offered me a seat and peppered me with questions about recent events..
“I've heard about this and that, but I can't hear it directly from the Lord..”
As I told them my current situation, edited appropriately, the two reporters listened with interest..
Well, most of the recent news is about cutting up thieves and monsters, which will be fun for you knights..
After my story was over, I was able to hear news from Ulkar..
About a month had passed since Prince Ulkar's army was stationed in South Harbour..
The king's edict has come.
-Ranger Ulkar Lionelson of Zeore is to vacate South Harbor immediately and resume his mission..
As this was a predicted situation, the army was ready to leave. Two days after the edict was issued, Prince Ulkar left South Harbor, leaving behind the flower petals and tears of his subjects..
His journey as a ranger almost continued aimlessly, but Prince Ulkar received an unexpected letter. The Margrave of Landry, protector of the West, had come to ask for help..
Prince Ulkar led his army straight to the plateau. It was the exact same place where I fought my first battle eight years ago, at the age of seventeen..
It was the two electors of Mitergeland who invaded the plateau..
‘Duke Avilambus Strom, the Count of Topal and a strong candidate for the next emperor, attracted Burcard Altzenberg, the vice-king of Altzenberg, and raised a large army of over 6,000 people..
Although stationed at South Harbor and growing in size, Prince Ulkar's army numbered only five hundred..
In addition, the army led by Margrave Landry was only about 2,000 at best..
Because they were overwhelmingly inferior both in number and quality, Prince Ulkar and Margrave Landri were immediately forced to the defensive..
Meanwhile, Prince Ulkar took a detour across the rocky area with only his infantry, and luckily the timing was right and he won a great victory in the round..
Afterwards, the armies of the two electors lost momentum and withdrew for a while, and the two armies continued their standoff..
Then something unexpected happened. The two electors proposed a truce..
Prince Ulkar hesitated due to some unclear details, but accepted Margrave Landry's opinion and made a truce..
Immediately after the imperial army withdrew, Prince Ulkar heard a strange rumor..
“……king of death?”
Lord Ariad nodded heavily at my mumbling..
“That's his nickname.”
His nickname is ‘King of Death’, so he’s like a middle school soldier.…….
“What is that guy doing??”
“Little is really known about it. At best, he's a powerful necromancer.?”
“A necromancer.?”
“yes. It is said that they use monsters that only appear in legends, such as headless knights and demons, as if they were beasts or tribes..”
Dullahan and Ghouls are pretty high level undead..
Sir Langbold, who was smoothing his beard next to him, continued his explanation..
“They say that the reason the two electors, Avilambus and Burcard, stepped down was because of the king of death. The war couldn't continue because the army of the dead was attacking the territory every night..”
“……“An army of lions?” "okay. Unlike other necromancers, this one is said to control countless dead people..”
He subtly lowered his voice..
“Although it is not known exactly, it is said that the army is so enormous that it covers as many as five hills. They say it is called the ‘wave of death’ because it looks like a jet black wave at night..”
He commands dullahan and ghouls, and has countless zombies.?
Oh, that's ominous.…….
“……By any chance, do you know what he looks like??”
“I don't know that. He's hiding among so many dead people, and there are ghost-like guys guarding him. Who would have seen his face?.”
Oh, I see.…….
I sighed with a strange feeling that I didn't know whether it was regret or relief, but Sir Ariad hesitated for a moment and then added..
“There are witnesses..”
“exactly? I didn't hear it.”
““It is said that the witness went crazy so he could not hear the proper testimony.” Lord Langbolt raised his eyebrows in interest..
“I'm crazy?”
“yes. He was a gravedigger who guarded the grave of a noble family, and saved his life by hiding in a coffin..”
“Like that.”
“Anyway, he said he saw Arnesso wearing a crown..”
“Arnetso? That Ar Nesso from the Bible.?”
“yes.”
Ah, I remember hearing this..
I stopped by a church in Lidburn and saw a tapestry with a picture embroidered on it..
There, there was a man who served as the teacher of the three prophets and then betrayed them. Ellen said that the man's name was 'Arnetso'..
Sir Langbolt leaned against the backrest with a dejected look on his face..
“That was nonsense. I saw someone who was burned to death more than six hundred years ago..”
“Of course it's nonsense, but you can infer something, right? The King of Death would resemble Arnesso. Strictly speaking, it may resemble Arnesso in his imagination.……
Suddenly, a picture of a tapestry came to mind..
An old man with white hair and no beard.
Arnesso wearing a crown as seen by the gravedigger.
In my memory, a white-haired old man wearing a crown. The ominous premonition comes true..
“X arm.”
“what did you say?”
“……Um, no.” When Sir Langbolt looked puzzled, I quickly asked another question..
“So, what brought you to Longville??”
“Oh, that's right.”
Lord Langbolt cleared his throat and shrugged his shoulders..
“I'm on my way to ask my father for help..”
“……If it's your father,”
I remembered the name I overheard in the hall earlier..
“Do you mean Count Lytton Earlshore? Lord of the Southern Shore?”
“Yes, that's right. I need his fleet.”
“why the fleet……
Sir Langbolt sighed deeply..
“The waves of death were really about to cross the sea.”
“……yes?”
“The King of Death, who swept the empire, is crossing the 'Blade of Blades' and crossing into the Abidden region. Bypassing the troops stationed on the plateau..”
“No, how can the undead,”
When I opened my mouth in bewilderment, Sir Ariad elaborated..
“The fishmen are helping them..”
“……Fishman?”
“It's a very strong relationship. Those who swept through South Harbor appeared in Blade's Edge Bay..”
“Well, what??”
When I opened my mouth wide, Sir Langbolt clicked his tongue and continued speaking..
“Thanks to this, not only Abiden but also the coastal waters became a mess. Besides, the young serpent of Eyland is gathering a fleet..”
……A young snake from Eyland..
Is this about my cousin??
“That's why I'm thinking of borrowing a fleet from my father. Southern Shore's steel fleet can calm the chaos in Blade's Edge Bay..”
“Not a very optimistic situation.”
Sir Ariad had a heavy expression on his face..
“It is said that the East is also in chaos due to the assassination of Marquis Ivail, the guardian of the East, and the sudden succession. Count Lytton will probably feel the burden of moving the steel fleet..”
“……You'll have to go to find out.”
I was swearing under my breath as I listened to the two knights talking..
My sub-character who almost killed Ellen, 'Corpse Manner' Popaluk Katalas..
Boss monster missed in Chapter 2, ‘Priest of the Deep Sea’’.
Those two guys held hands.
……Fuck you.
Comments