Vol 1 Chapter 22 (1/2)

The Imperial knights and Seran were confronting each other.

There were only eight Imperial Knights left standing, Seran had already slain more than twenty of them in total.

Leaving the start aside, after what happened, the difference in skill was as clear as night and day.

Seran was wielding a great sword. It didn’t seem that different from a normal sword, but with his slashes, even if they met sword or armour, he cut through all of it.

Those slashes were sharp and were aimed with precision at vital points, even if they tried to block or dodge them, they just didn’t have enough skill.

The gap between the Imperial knights and Seran, was as big as the difference between a cat and a tiger.

But of course, Seran wasn’t uninjured, there were some wounds here and there on his body, and his breathing had become slightly irregular.

No matter how strong he was, he was up against thirty of the country’s strongest elites; in the beginning it was going smoothly, but after the knights had recovered themselves, they built up their formations and attacked him with superior numbers.

(As expected of the Imperial knights, they have a lot of tenacity. Their eyes are still alive…)

After thinking that, he let out a sigh.

“What a ha.s.sle.”

Seran said without any power.

“Let’s end it around here.”

“What did you say….?”

One of the surviving knights said, with a questioning look.

“I already said it at the beginning, my job was to slow you down. My objective isn’t to slaughter all of you. The horses are gone and some time has pa.s.sed, you don’t have any way to go after the princess anymore…….. in other words, I don’t have any reason left to fight anymore.”

Having said that much, Seran sheathed his sword, and with a twirl he turned his back to the knights.

This surprised the knights, normally, this would’ve been the perfect chance to cut him down, but they couldn’t imagine the image of him being cut down by them, the only thing they could see was them being cut down in reverse.

“Of course, if you guys want to continue it’s a different case, but you should’ve understood the difference in power. If you guys will run away, then I won’t follow.”

If it’s for their mission these knights will not fear death, but that didn’t mean they would waste their lives.

Because of Seran their mission had already failed, it wouldn’t make any sense to die now.

“If you’re going to make a choice, do it quickly. That vice-captain is barely alive, and if you’re quick, you could end up saving more guys. I have some magic medicine that can heal them, but as one would expect, I don’t have any reason to share them with you.”

Seran who had taken some distance, leaned against a tree in the forest and drank some magic medicine that he had taken out.

The knights should have come to a decision after looking at each other.

Two of them lend a shoulder to the vice-captain, the others also gathered up the ones who were still alive.

While they were doing that they let their guard down, because when they looked at Seran, they saw that he was doing nothing and didn’t seem to follow them at all.

After gaining some distance, when all the knights were behind him, he started running towards Acken —– as he ran without a sound, Seran took his last magic stone and threw it from behind at the knights.

The knights were blown up by the explosion, and Seran, instead of running away, gave the finis.h.i.+ng blow to those who were still alive.

“Sorry, but I never planned to let any of you get away in the first place. Because one or two of you would have run away for your dear lives, I had to put up an act.”

It would’ve been a ha.s.sle if it came to that, Seran said, while giving the final strike to the vice-captain, who was kept barely alive for this reason.

“You guys found out about the treasure in the Sangurd mountain range. That treasure is one of Kail’s important lifelines, there was a small chance that you’d leak this.”

If Lize was here, then she’d retort with: “No, but aren’t you the one who talked about it”, but Seran was totally serious.

Having them let their guard down a little by talking about the treasure, and silencing them for the reason of knowing about it, was a necessity, and came only natural to Seran.

“Fu~~……. I’m tired.”

After confirming that he was the only human alive in the area, Seran sat down.

Even for Seran it’s dangerous to fight against thirty Imperial knights, the magic medicine may have healed his wounds and stamina, but he was still mentally exhausted.

“I somehow managed on this side, so you guys better do your best too.”

Seran muttered, while looking in the direction of Acken.

In an Inn’s room within Acken, Zentos was looking at the card that was supposed to show the regular report.

Even if the vice-captain were to die, there were replacements – if there was no report anymore, then that would mean that there was no one to replace him with left.

His face was emotionless as always, but his clenched fist was trembling.

When he left his room, he gave instructions to his subordinate Imperial knights.

“All of you protect his highness, don’t let anyone come through until I return.”

Not even giving them time to rebuke, Zentos rode his favorite horse and left Acken.

Kail and the others had almost reached the exit of the forest.

If they were to leave, then they would get close enough to see Acken from there.

‘Only a little more’, just when they were thinking that, Sildonia reports something.

[Hey Kail, a knight is coming this way.]

“How many?”

“No it’s only one and……hey!?]

Sildonia raises her voice in surprise.

“What happened?”

[Hmm, I thought I took some distance, but I was attacked with 【Energy Blade】. He must be pretty skilled if he can hit me from that far with this much power and accuracy.]

【Energy Blade】is a low level attack with a low attack power that can hit enemies from afar, because of its cost and range it’s a regularly used attack magic.

“I see, attacking without a warning against a bird that was showing strange movements… Also being able to control magic from a distance, and he’s come alone….. it can only be him.”

So he really did come, Kail let out a big sigh.

“I wished from the depths of my heart that he wouldn’t come, but it wouldn’t go that easily it seems.”

Despite not wanting to fight him, there was no other choice than to meet him.