EP10. Witch Hunt (4)
Sepia took the lead first. She held a mace and a shield in each of her hands.
She didn’t swing the mace right away. Rather she was trying to talk.
“We are priests sent from the United Bishops’ Conference.”
“I understand that the boy among you is not a priest.”
“Yes. He came to meet a guest who is currently visiting here and happened to accompany him.”
Understandably, Sophie did not let her guard down. Rather, she held her dagger forward as she warned Sepia.
“Do you think you will fall for that?”
“We are investigating to solve the curse spreading in Elioden. Thank you for your kind cooperation.”
“What if I can’t?”
At Sophie’s question, Sepia just calmly sentenced.
“Then I can’t help it. We have no choice but to use force.”
“Why bother talking about that? It will be enough if you wipe it all away.”
Edward walked forward, clasping his hands together and loosening his joints. Tina also spoke briefly to Sean, loading her bolts into her crossbow.
“You can back off.”
“Didn’t I tell you? I am no longer the same kid I was back then.”
“Yes. It was.”
As the uninvited guests did not retreat, Sophie took out a few more daggers.
And from under the ground around her came the same zombies as the last time.
“If you show off like that, you can use it. If you were like me, you would have pulled it off to the end.”
Edward said it lightly, but he narrowed his eyes when he saw the three monsters protruding from the ground.
Monsters are never easy opponents. Besides, the last time I saw him, his intelligence also seemed high.
Meanwhile, Shawn asked Tina a question while looking at the monster.
“…Then is that woman also a witch’s child?”
“I don’t think so. She’s probably a minion.”
“You talk a lot.”
At some point, Sophie came close to her and swung her dagger. Tina immediately responded by pulling out the sword from her waistband. She pointed her crossbow in her other hand straight into her face and shot it.
She thought she wouldn’t be able to dodge at close range, but Sophie ducked her head with astonishing speed, dodging her bolt. Unstoppable, she bent her body down and kicked the lower part of her tee, attempting to throw her off balance.
However, that attempt failed due to someone’s interference. It was Shawn.
This time, Sophie twisted her body in an acrobatic way, freed from Sean’s sword, and took a few steps back.
“…Your movements are unusual.”
“It’s not some kind of flying squirrel…”
Tina and Sean complained a little, but there was no time to distract them. If they were off guard even for a moment, it was clear that they would slit their throats with that fast movement.
Meanwhile, Sepia and Edward were dealing with three monsters. The old man stabbed the monster’s face with a menacing fist that was inappropriate for his age.
Evaluating the feel of the blow his fist felt, Edward muttered softly.
“You are stronger than last time.”
“I wonder if they are constantly strengthening it.”
“That makes sense.”
Sepia stopped the attacking monster with her shield, then swung her mace and caved in her skull as she was.
Even so, seeing that the monsters didn’t die and continued to move, their vitality wasn’t usually tenacious.
“However, compared to last time, you are quite stupid.”
“Is that so? This seems to be the average level for monsters.”
“Hmm. Come to think of it, I was stupid the other day, but right before I died, I suddenly became smart.”
“That is noteworthy.”
The two of them continued their battle with the monster while having a conversation. As soon as Sepia knocked over the monster with her shield, Edward grabbed the leg of the fallen monster and broke it.
The legs of the monster, which had been bent in the complete opposite direction from the original, were almost frowning.
It was pitiful to see that this blow had an effect on the monsters as well, and he couldn’t walk properly and was limping.
“Looks pretty fierce over there too.”
“It would be better to deal with it quickly and help.”
“Yes.”
Tina clicked her tongue in her little. Dealing with her maid was more daunting than she thought. Because her movements were so swift, she couldn’t properly use her crossbow, her primary weapon.
However, Sean and Tina had the advantage because Sean was much more skilled in combat than expected.
Shaun’s sword slashed crosswise and rushed at Sophie. As before, she ducked back and dodged the attack. After one run-in with Sean’s sword, Sophie chose to dodge rather than defend her. Because in her power she realized she was being pushed.
“You are stronger than I thought.”
“I guess that’s what I meant? Why is the maid so good at fighting?”
“It is only natural to assist the master.”
Sophie changed her strategy. Judging that she couldn’t do it in close combat, she focused on ranged attacks.
Her method was simple. Just throw the dagger she’s holding and that’s it.
When the dagger flew out of nowhere, Sean rolled over him in fright.
Are you attacking even while throwing away your armaments? It’s a last-ditch attempt when the battle seems hopeless.
Sean’s thoughts went astray. As the dagger disappeared from his hand, Sophie calmly took out a new dagger and raised it. Seeing that scene, Sean couldn’t hide his absurd laughter even in the middle of the battle.
The dagger came out of the stocking belt and nowhere else. Where the hell do you put what?
Tina clicked her tongue again at the sight of the maid dodging her flying bolts.
With the thought that her crossbow would no longer be useful in this battle, she corrected her sword.
The aspect of the battle has become much more complicated. Sophie, who avoided all of her opponent’s ranged checks while maintaining her distance and throwing daggers, was difficult to deal with.
I felt like I wanted to shout out loud to fight confidently. Even if I said that, I’d be glad if I didn’t get ridiculed.
“Is there any better way?”
“For now, not really. But time is on our side. If things go on like this, support will come.”
Of course, as they said, they were the ones who had the advantage in a long-term battle.
From noble mtl dot com.
But the important thing is that you shouldn’t lose your strength in the current battle. It should be borne in mind that she has not yet entered the tower, let alone a witch.
Shaun looked at his opponent, Sophie, who drew the dagger again.
She didn’t look particularly tired, even though she moved a lot.
On the other hand, Sean’s condition was not that good. He didn’t have any major wounds, but he couldn’t perfectly avoid all of the constant dagger throws, so it was because of the accumulation of small wounds.
There is no end to just avoiding it. In order to preserve as much stamina as possible, ironically, it is rather a speed battle.
“Could you give me some cover with the crossbow?”
“It is difficult to match.”
“It’s okay. Please use it only for the purpose of limiting movement as much as possible.”
“Yes. All right.”
I don’t know what Shawn was thinking, but Tina obediently complied with his request.
Sophie could also guess that the boy’s demeanor had changed.
Still, nothing has changed. Continuing to hold back with throwing, keep your distance. It was the only thing that gave her the best odds of her present.
Sophie threw the dagger. Now the boy will naturally widen the distance to avoid the dagger.
However, Sean didn’t move at all despite the flying dagger.
No, that wasn’t all.
He had his eyes closed.
‘What is it?’
Sophie couldn’t believe her eyes at the boy’s incomprehensible eccentricity.
To make the world go dark when even staring at the dagger with your eyes wide open isn’t enough?
Yes. He closed his eyes.
And I feel it.
Sound.
The wind.
Smell.
Feel the flying dagger.
Tina’s presence next to her, and Sophie’s presence on the other side.
I try to feel everything that makes up the boy’s surroundings.
Then the dark world becomes brighter.
I can feel the airflow of the wind blowing.
I can hear the sound of a dagger cutting through the air.
As the dagger rushes forward, the smell of iron at the tip of the crumbling blade wafts in.
Because I closed my eyes, I see the world through a gicheok.
Shaun closed his eyes and swung his sword. The dagger collided with the sword and deviated from its course, leaving a small scratch on Sean’s arm and passing by.
The dagger that was thrown soon after was also vaguely collided when Sean swung the sword, so it couldn’t be fatal.
As such results were repeated over and over again, Sean came close to Sophie before he knew it.
Every time Sophie tried to gain her distance, the bolts squeezed and restricted her movement, so she couldn’t keep her distance as much as she wanted.
When Sean finally came within range of Sophie, he opened his eyes and said,
“It must be difficult to live with your eyes closed. It’s very uncomfortable.”
“I see.”
At some point, when her sword was pointed right in front of her neck, Sophie intuited her end.
Of course, given that she was pierced by a bolt, she could have distanced herself, but even that was a futile assumption now. That’s because the back was also trampled on by the enemy.
“Am I a little late?”
“It was very late.”
“Sorry.”
“Well, it’s better than not coming.”
The first battle of the witch hunt is over.
***
After subduing Sophie, Sean asked.
“What should this person do now?”
“Hmm. You’d better check first whether this woman is involved in her curse.”
A follower of purification who specializes in identifying and removing curses. Sepia approached Sophie.
Then she shook her head and said.
“This person is an ordinary human being.”
“····Really? He wasn’t normal at all in his movements.”
“I take it as a compliment.”
Her
She looked at Sophie fed up with Sophie’s calm expression of gratitude despite her captivity.
“Then I will have to transfer you to the Bishops’ Church for a trial.”
“Hmm. In fact, there won’t be a big problem with immediate punishment…”
“Mr. Edward. Sometimes I forget that Mr. Edward is a follower of mercy.”
In spite of Tina’s rather bitter joke, the old man only smiled and took it back.
“Mercy is a blessing that should be given to those who have a chance of being rehabilitated.”
“You can kill me as the old man said.”
“Hmm? Are there no regrets in life? That’s not a good attitude.”
On the topic of killing him just now, Edward threw a completely contradictory statement to Sophie.
“A servant who fails to protect his master must apologize with death.”
“You are so extreme.”
At that time, Sepia suggested it.
“Wouldn’t it be better to use it to hunt witches instead of doing that?”
“·······.”
“·······.”
“Hmm? Why?”
“No. Ms. Sepia has more corners than I thought.”
“I agree with that.”
Unlike the men who looked at Sepia fearfully, Tina defended Sepia’s proposal.
“That’s a good way. Then do that.”
“Please allow me to die.”
“I’m sorry. But people’s lives are precious, aren’t they?”
Sophie, who said she would die for her master, is now in danger of betraying her master. Even though he was clearly an enemy, Sean couldn’t help but feel strong compassion and sympathy for Sophie for a while.
Anyway, the group increased by one to become five, and they headed back to the tower. It took a little time to go back because it was farther away from the main gate of the tower where it was originally due to the battle that was fiercer than expected.
As they walked toward the tower, Tina questioned Shawn.
“Then why did you fight with your eyes closed at the end?”
“Oh, because of the sunlight.”
“Sunshine? I don’t think the sunlight was in front…”
Sean nodded.
“Yes. But the blade of the flying dagger reflected the sunlight and I couldn’t see it properly.”
“Ah…”
“Come to think of it, was that what you were aiming for?”
Sophie, who had followed him with his arms tied tightly and led by a rope, nodded calmly and acknowledged him.
“Yes. I think it was a good strategy.”
“I still don’t understand why the maid is so good at fighting…”
After talking like that, they arrived in front of the tower again before they knew it.
There was no delay. There will still be Levi inside.
They entered the area of the tower right away.