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Role (2)

“Unni, we have to go back…!”

“Didn’t you see? She’s a woman who uses aura. And that man, he is an even bigger monster.

“But…!”

“Going back won’t change anything. This is the rational choice.”

Amelia gritted her teeth as Laura grabbed her arm and pulled her along.

She felt like she was about to cry.

“Rational choice…? Are you crazy? How is it rational for you to die and for me to live!!”

When Amelia fiercely shook off her arm, Laura also stopped running.

Laura let out a sigh.

‘Amelia, listen to your sister, we don’t have time for this-’

“What do you mean by that! Don’t talk like this is the last time…!”

“…It’s not like that.”

“Then what is it? Why are we just running away without even trying to do something?!”

“Because this gives us a higher chance of survival!”

Laura, sounding angry at her sister’s stubbornness, continued speaking rapidly.

“Emily, that woman didn’t kill Felix Barker. She used a paralyzing needle. She slung him over her shoulder as if she had some use for him. It means she doesn’t intend to kill him right away. In fact, I’m still alive and well.”

“Ah…”

Amelia let out an involuntary exclamation.

Even in that urgent situation, her sister had considered all of that and made a decision.

“It’s unsettling, but this is the best option. It’s better to take this chance than to die a meaningless death by attacking her.”

“…”

“Now, if you understand, follow me.”

Laura resumed moving, as if she couldn’t afford to waste any more time, and Amelia hurriedly followed her.

How much time had passed?

The Rainweilz sisters encountered familiar faces.

“Huh? Laura, Amelia? You guys are alive?”

“…Sir Derbon.” 

The clan members who had abandoned Felix Barker and fled.

Something must have happened during that time, or they had scattered; only half of them remained.

“Hey, you’re in luck. We were just about to escape the city ourselves.”

“Huh…? Escape?”

“Isn’t it obvious? If Ricardo Lühensprache has come out of the east, it means that side has been dealt with, and he’s headed to the lord’s castle. This city is already finished.”

As Dorvon finished his explanation, two men standing next to him added comments as if they were shivering.

“The traitor, that man is not human. Did you see him slaughter dozens without even changing his expression? Just thinking about it gives me chills.”

“They say when the traitor sticks out his tongue, that’s when he’s truly angry.”

“If this city falls into that bastard’s hands, those of us who sided with the lord will be the first to lose our heads.”

Though the proposal was sudden, Laura calmly asked the most important question.

“But how do you plan to escape? The main gate is—”

“Yes, the gatekeeper is there. But apparently there’s a hidden passage. It’s a path the Melta merchants use to get in and out, and this guy knows about it.

“…I see.”

“Do you want to come with us?”

Without further thought, Laura agreed to the proposal.

“We’ll go.”

“Huh, Unni?”

Originally, the plan was to head to the relatively safe west and hide until the situation was resolved.

But this changes everything.

If she died, her sister would be left alone in this world. At the very least, she wanted her sister to live a decent life.

This might be the last chance.

“Oh, and just so you know, in exchange for taking you along—”

“I understand. If something dangerous happens, I’ll step in.”

“Hmph, good… You understand well.”

The man nodded, seemingly a bit embarrassed, then led the group forward.

***

Shiny silver hair.

White skin.

Armor adorned with the royal insignia and a longsword about 1.5 times the size of a standard one.

Though they had never met, he was a well-known figure.

‘Jerome Saintred.’

The head of the 1st Royal Knights and a member of the royal family known as the “Knight of Light.”

The problem was, why was this guy here now?

Amelia never mentioned him in her story…

“Hand over the Fragment of Records.”

But with that one sentence, the situation became clear.

Why was the Knight of Light, who should be clearing the east, here?

The answer was simple.

The royal family’s objective wasn’t the extermination of Orcules.

‘Fighting him… would be tough.’

He’s on a different caliber than Rick Ominus, whom I had faced on the stairs. He’s definitely past level 5, the maximum level knights can reach with the ‘elixir’ they consume…….

As a commander, he’s probably also completed the 6th level breakthrough and the level 7 awakening.

And that’s not all.

‘Considering the royal family’s wealth, all seven essences must be at least level 3.’

I’m outnumbered in both the number and quality of essences.

The difference in stats is obvious, and I’m also at a disadvantage in terms of roles, as a tanker against a knight.

But if there’s one slight chance…

Whhooooong!

It would be my equipment.

From Double Numbered items onwards, a basic low-level indestructibility option is attached.

Bang-!

I blocked his sword with my hammer, without even exchanging greetings.

Huh, this is the first time I’ve fought like this.

The usual approach was to block with a shield first and then strike with a weapon.

“…?”

The knight frowned as he watched me deflect his blow.

As expected of a knight who cuts through anything, he hadn’t anticipated that his sword would be stopped…

“Wait a moment.”

Taking advantage of the brief gap created after the initial strike, I attempted to start a conversation.

It probably wouldn’t work, but there’s no harm in trying, right?

“Isn’t there some kind of misunderstanding? Fragment of Records? I don’t know what that is.”

“You’re lying. I heard testimony that you came up from the underground and headed here.”

Hmm, is that so…

The mistaken identity strategy didn’t work.

However, I did find something useful from an unexpected source.

“But… you might have taken it without knowing. Fragment of Records… hand over the necklace the lord was wearing.”

His tone suggested there might be room for negotiation.

“If it’s something the lord was wearing, you mean this necklace?”

Just in case, I pointed to the necklace I was wearing, and the knight nodded.

“Yes, I promise not to spill unnecessary blood if you hand over that item.”

It was a big catch.

The Fragment of Records had long been stashed away in my sub-space.

‘This guy doesn’t know what the Fragment of Records is.’

The necklace I’m wearing is just an ordinary one.

Its only effect is reducing casting time for mage by embedding a large refined stone.

Incidentally, I had plundered it during a raid a long time ago and had been wearing it as an accessory ever since…

‘To think I’d use it like this.’

They say humans are creatures that can communicate.

I’m glad I decided to talk first.

Crack.

I forcefully snapped the necklace off.

“Well, if you want it, I can give it to you. After all, I just took it as a souvenir.”

“A souvenir?”

“The lord, no less. While we were sent to fight outside, I followed him underground, and this necklace was all I could take.”

“Hmm, so it was just for money.”

The knight muttered to himself as if understanding my words.

He must have seen Rick Ominus and the lord stripped of all his gear.

“For guys like us, our motives are obvious, aren’t they? Although, judging by what you want, that necklace seems to be worth something… It doesn’t seem worth risking my life for.

People who talk too much often have an ulterior motive.

But this young knight, who seemed to have only ever wielded a sword, didn’t seem to suspect me.

He just looked at me with disdain.

“Enough with the explanations. Hand it over.”

“Oh, but I need some assurance first.”

“Assurance?”

“That you’ll let me go if I give this to you.”

“I don’t break my promises—”

Yeah, right. Is he trying to say he’s a knight who values honor?

If he had no intention of lying, he wouldn’t even be here. The lord didn’t realize he was being deceived by the royal family until the moment he died.

So…

‘Leap.’

I smashed through a nearby window and leaped high.

As I jumped from the fourth floor, my body soared, providing a clear view of the cityscape centered around the lord’s castle.

The east side was burning bright from the battle, while the west remained relatively peaceful.

But there was no time to enjoy the view.

Pop-!

A flash of light behind me signaled the Knight’s appearance.

Just from the effect, I could tell what skill it was.

[Gate of Light]

A level 3 essence and one of the best movement skills.

Not a random half-baked teleport skill but a skill that lets one specify a location—pure cheat.

Whew, it’s been a while.

I used to get this a lot before I became a barbarian.

“Did you think you could escape?”

Even as he rotated mid-air, the knight swung his sword, and I blocked it with my hammer once again.

Geez, you’re in a hurry.

It’s not like I said I wouldn’t keep my promise.

‘Anyway, an aerial battle is new to me.’

Using the recoil from blocking the sword, I was pushed back in the air, creating more distance between us.

Pop-!

The knight once again closed the distance with [Gate of Light], and I threw the necklace with all my might.

“…!”

He reached out, but the distance was too great for him to catch it.

I saw a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.

He was debating whether to kill me or not.

Thanks to that, I realized something.

‘So much for keeping promises.’

From the start, he intended to kill me as soon as I handed over the necklace.

He probably wanted to eliminate any witnesses or something like that.

Well, it didn’t seem like he was going to stick to that stubbornness in this situation.

Wham-!

I kicked him in the abdomen while his attention was on the necklace.

He didn’t even groan.

But I had no regrets.

That wasn’t the point of the kick, anyway.

Whhoooong-!

Due to the laws of physics, the distance between us widened again.

As he fell, the knight looked up at me and asked.

“…What’s your name?”

His voice carried a genuine curiosity, as if he had encountered an intriguing opponent.

Hearing that, I thought,

Why should I tell you?

“Are you an idiot?”

Ah, I said it out loud.

“…What?”

I regretted it for a moment, but the knight didn’t chase me with [Gate of Light] again.

Of course, there’s a limit to how many times he can use it in one go.

After three uses, he has to wait for the cooldown.

Pop-!

Soon, his body was engulfed in light, disappearing from view. I could see him reappearing in the direction where I had thrown the necklace.

‘Okay, I’ve shaken him off…’

Then, using ‘Transcendent Leap,’ it felt as though an invisible foothold had formed beneath my feet. With all my strength, I kicked off it, propelling myself forward like an arrow.

My destination quickly drew nearer.

‘This feels like being Superman or something.’

I chuckled as I replayed the brief aerial battle in my mind.

The more I thought about it, the stranger it felt.

‘This isn’t Dragon Ball or something.’

I need to get stronger soon.

****

Outside the walls of Noark Castle, at the cemetery.

Bang-!

I landed at the center and immediately rolled out of the fall.

Which means, in simple terms…

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!”

I smashed through gravestones as I tumbled.

“…Damn, I almost died.”

I had traveled directly from the lord’s castle in the middle of the city to the outskirts in one leap, but the price was clear.

Maybe it was because I accelerated by jumping from such a high place?

My legs were more than just numb; it felt like electricity was coursing through my bones.

Considering my pain tolerance, it meant I was pretty much wrecked.

‘…At least I don’t need to use a potion.’

The penalty of natural regeneration -40 attached to Ogre’s Essence.

Before, it meant that without a potion, my wounds hardly healed…

With the Storm Gush Essence and the Undying Mark, my overall natural regeneration far exceeded the penalty, allowing minor injuries to heal quickly even without the use of potions.

Swoosh.

After a brief rest, I stood up.

As I looked around, I soon spotted the place I was searching for.

I had visited this place before, after all.

A massive tombstone that concealed an underground passage wide and tall enough for a carriage.

The first thing I noticed was a corpse.

‘The gravekeeper.’

He was the caretaker who had lived here, acting as a guard for the secret passage. Now he lay dead, his body riddled with stab wounds.

‘I slept for six hours, so Laura and the others would have passed through long ago… Amelia should have joined them by now, too.’

I needed to hurry if I wanted to catch up before everything ended, so I quickened my pace and headed into the passage.

Or rather, I tried to.

‘…Huh?’

I stopped in my tracks.

Step, step.

An elderly man in a tidy outfit was walking toward me from the other side of the passage.

Thump.

As soon as our eyes met, my heart pounded loudly.

At the same time, it felt like I was dreaming.

The old man smiled and greeted me.

“Heh heh, good to see you.”

It was Auril Gavis.