44 – Episode 44
# 44
“Squawk!”
[Master! Who is following us?]
“A knight?”
[What’s a knight?]
“Someone wearing armor!”
[What’s armor?]
“You ignorant birdbrain!”
Ian scolded Oveiron before explaining the situation.
No matter how clever Oveiron was among the birds, he still hadn’t fully grasped human life.
But having traveled with the Knights of Santiago, explaining what a knight was wasn’t too difficult.
[Just like our colors, a beautiful black-skinned human!]
‘… The Black Knight, huh.’
Ian easily noticed that the Black Knight was the pursuer.
Honestly, he was surprised.
Could it be that in the medieval era, someone ignored religious pressure and chased after Ian…
‘He said he’s from Baekgu, but… do they not believe in the Celestial Faith there?’
If he were a heretic, that would explain it.
The pursuit continued, but nothing changed.
Ian quickly urged his horse to join the fleeing viscount.
“Oh, no…!”
And Ian saw it.
A knight of the Powerhoof being hunted down by arrows like a wild beast.
And…
In the midst of the chaos, the viscount also collapsing!
Ian easily spotted Lucy near the viscount, groaning.
“[O Darkness!]”
Instantly invoking darkness to shroud the surroundings, Ian swiftly seized Lucy.
“Lucy! The viscount!”
“… has passed away!”
“I really freaking hate this! Dammit!”
Lucy’s Confirmation Assassination.
The viscount has fallen in battle.
‘What is happening?’
Ian was in confusion.
Ian’s knowledge of war was limited to works of fiction like movies and games.
In those works of fiction, there was no guidance on how to command and flee in such a situation.
The protagonists in movies and novels always win. Therefore, there was no need for Ian to think about how to act when they lose.
That’s why defeat was an overly unfamiliar concept to Ian.
‘But…’
Ian glanced at Lucy, who was trembling thinly.
The viscount is dead.
But there is another noble by Ian’s side.
Lucy Talian.
If only she survives, she could be another focal point.
Ian decided to focus on the situation at hand.
For now, let’s just think about safely rescuing Lucy!
“The Black Knight is following us right now!”
“Huh, Black Knight?”
“Yeah! We need to shake him off first, so let’s head to the river!”
But Ian didn’t have time.
The shouts of pursuers could already be heard from behind.
“Stop! Wizard!”
“…This is driving me crazy. Seriously!”
Ian gritted his teeth and urged the horse on. If he were caught by the Black Knight, it would all be over.
Glancing back, he saw the Black Knight and his subordinates swiftly closing in.
More accurately, they were probably after Lucy, whom Ian was carrying.
“Seriously persistent!”
He had to admit, at least the Black Knight’s tenacity was commendable.
He was single-handedly managing Grimm’s army, after all.
“Running won’t do you any good! Don’t waste time and surrender!”
It was the most decisive moment of the war.
Ian didn’t stop.
“Just a little more…!”
Ian’s words spurred the horse to leap forward.
As they passed through the rugged trail, a wide and shallow river came into view.
Ian halted the horse on the river and turned to face the pursuers.
The pursuers also stopped their horses.
It was because Ian had responded to their call.
“I won’t beat around the bush. Hand over Talion, wizard.”
The Black Knight spoke. His voice was very low and dignified.
Ian scoffed at the Black Knight.
“How much did you pocket from the plunder, you thief? Don’t you know your employer is the scum of the earth?”
Ian’s blunt words made the soldiers bristle.
Because what Ian said was the truth.
“What crime has the commander committed!”
“That’s right! It’s retribution! Blame it on that useless Talian Viscount! The commander did nothing wrong!”
Ian sensed Lucy fidgeting behind him.
To say outright that the Viscount Talian was blameless… would be difficult.
No, the Viscount was closer to being caught out for using Greim first.
But in this medieval fantasy world where war was routine, was there even much meaning in distinguishing right from wrong?
The victor defines justice.
So, shout for justice first, and if you win, it’s game over.
“Oi, Miss Talian. Go and speak your piece clearly.”
As Ian spoke, Lucy, who had been fidgeting, burst out angrily.
“Shut up! You commoners! Greim killed my parents! Seized my land! Such a scoundrel deserves death!”
Ian stared at the Black Knight and spoke.
“Heard that? The thief steals from innocent nobles and tries to seize territories through force. Is it worth fighting for such a scoundrel among scoundrels?”
…
Ian held his breath, waiting for the Black Knight’s response.
In war, justification was an incredibly crucial element.
It is an essential element of war, directly related to the will to conduct war.
Why should we fight? Why should we shed blood? If the answer is not given, humans cannot fight properly.
“I will fight for all the children of this land!” Saying this would be so heroic.
“I will fight for all the pedophiles of this land!” Saying this would just seem ridiculous.
“Your employer is a shameless person who doesn’t even know honor, and yet you still want to fight?” Ian threw the question at the Black Knight.
“Have you received any favor from Greim?”
After a moment of silence, the Black Knight answered.
“No. I just happened to be hired.”
“In that case, there’s no need for you to be loyal to him, right?”
The Black Knight slowly shook his head.
“I am a freelancer. A mercenary.”
“…?”
Ian, who had thought whether the Black Knight was a salaried worker or a freelancer, lowered his head.
The term “freelancer” that the Black Knight mentioned referred not to a freelance professional, but to a knight who wandered around selling his prowess. In fact, the term “freelancer” came from the word referring to such a wandering knight.
“Since I have been paid, Greim is my lord until the job is done.”
“Well, then, what’s the difference between you and a mercenary?”
“… Not much, really. I just act without feeling ashamed of myself.”
The Black Knight’s answer was clear.
“Yeah, anyway, we won’t see each other again once the job is done. I’m good as long as I get paid.”
Now, it was clear that Ian was a true freelancer, in every sense.
The medieval knight, a freelancer himself, coldly aimed his lance and spoke.
“This is your final warning. Drop Talia and step back.”
Ian chuckled and replied.
“What if I don’t?”
From Noble mtl dot com
“…Why? Have you, of all people, received a favor from Talia? A reason to sacrifice your life for that woman?”
“The reason is the same as yours. There’s something to gain.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
The knight understood Ian’s words well. Being a freelancer himself, he may have unknowingly understood the heart of a fellow freelancer.
The knight took a stance with his lance.
Both were in the same position.
Willing to go to any length, even death, for their goals.
Without personal emotions, the knight was prepared to secure Lucy by killing Ian if necessary.
But Ian was one step ahead.
“Then!”
Ian clapped his hands loudly.
“Oh no! Is it a spell again?”
The knight immediately put strength into his arms.
He was determined to kill the magician before he could cast a spell.
But Ian, who had already anticipated the spear, was one step ahead.
“[Rampage!]”
Ian shouted in the language of magic.
The pursuers’ horses went wild at the sound!
Heeeyng!
“Ugh, agh!”
The Black Knight gave up aiming and barely leaped off his horse.
“What a trickster!”
Ian, a level 3 summoner, easily conveyed his will to the horses. Making people fall off their mounts was child’s play for him.
The pursuers stumbled off their horses. The river was shallow, but it soaked their calves.
They may have fallen off their horses, but if they ran with all their might, killing the mage was still possible…!
But Ian’s magic didn’t end there.
Ian uttered the language of magic again.
“[River!]”
The river’s mystique and Ian had been aware of each other for some time now.
Finally responding to Ian’s call, the river willingly answered the mage’s summons.
[I have been waiting. Human, you are one who seeks the mystique.]
The river seemed eager to engage in a meaningful conversation with Ian, but he had no time to spare.
Fortunately, the river had long been a part of the mystique, easily understanding Ian’s anxious emotions.
[Those creatures make you uneasy, don’t they?]
“[Swift Current!]”
[Alright. Let’s first clear that out and then continue our conversation.]
Swoosh!
The Black Knight and the pursuers were astonished.
As the magician’s spell came to an end, the river began to wriggle and move as if it were a living creature!
“Help, save us!”
The river coiled around the pursuers like a giant slime, swallowing them up and pushing them downstream.
Watching the pursuers being swept away by the current, Ian was amazed.
Wow. Looks so much fun.
A waterslide on a plain? I can’t resist this!
If the pursuers had known Ian’s thoughts, their attitudes would have been reversed, but fortunately, they were not shrewd sorcerers.
“You did great, Ian!”
After sweeping away the pursuers with magic, Lucy praised Ian with great delight.
But Ian had no time to deal with Lucy.
He had to express his gratitude to the river that had lent him its power.
The river seemed to have a curious nature, asking Ian various questions, and Ian wasted quite a bit of time responding to it.
By the time Ian was ready to leave the river, the sun had already begun to set.
Ian decided to spend the night outdoors and look for the Earl’s mercenaries as soon as day broke.
As Ian went to fetch some water, he stumbled upon a few corpses by the riverbank.
“…”
They were the pursuers that Ian had swept away with the river.
Well. Unlike the water slides of the civilization world born through thorough verification, there is no law in the medieval fantasy world’s water slides that guarantees the safety of the riders…
Some water slides can only be ridden once, and Ian’s water slide was one of those.
Ian had been wishing the trackers well when he spotted a black knight and paused for a moment.
Up close, the armor was truly pitch-black. It was impossible to tell if they used a special metal or applied a special treatment.
However, armor was a valuable and expensive item, so it was certain that leaving it unattended would attract thieves.
But if someone was going to steal it anyway… wouldn’t it be better for Ian to steal it? After traveling around the medieval fantasy world, Ian understood well. Whether it was a wizard or a lunatic, having armor was a good thing. You never knew when some crazy person would swing a sword.
The fact that it stood out so much because it was pitch-black was a problem, but it was better than nothing.
“…It seems a bit small.”
When he tried to take off the armor, he found that it was smaller than he had expected. It was hard to guess the size because it was pitch-black, but the black knight was slightly smaller than Ian.
Even by the standards of the feeble medieval fantasy world, she was petite.
“Can I wear this?”
With a mixture of concern and anticipation, Ian took off the black knight’s armor.
If it doesn’t fit, I’ll have to sell it to Lucy.
As Ian was thinking this, he was taken aback when he tried to remove the black knight’s helmet.
“…?”
The reason was that the blonde hair sticking out of the helmet was… too long.
I heard she was an Eastern knight. Could it be that she didn’t cut her hair because of Confucianism?
Gradually confirming the black knight’s face, Ian was both astonished and all his doubts were resolved.
“A woman?!”
The black knight was a woman.
Hmmm