Episode 389 This is an opportunity. (3)
The knights took a step back after seeing the creepy, writhing creatures.
It wasn't because I was scared. It was because I instinctively felt an inexplicable sense of rejection.
They repeated what Giselle had said.
"Rice, mutant? What is that?"
"I don't want to see anything like that."
Jiselle informed me, shaking her sword.
"There's a strange energy spreading through this place. These guys are affected by that energy. They're not that strong, so they shouldn't be hard to deal with."
As the knights focused their minds on those words, they could feel a gentle energy spreading around them.
A very ominous and unpleasant aura. The aura was slowly trying to invade their bodies.
Just by breathing, energy naturally enters the body. The knights shouted in fright.
"What is this energy?"
"If you don't concentrate, you won't know?"
"Damn, I feel like I've had several sips already."
As the knights started to make a fuss, Giselle clicked her tongue and continued speaking.
"It doesn't have much of an effect, so don't worry about it. If you go to a place with no energy and practice mana cultivation or spend some time there, it will disappear on its own. It's not dangerous to ordinary people, but it's not a big threat to those who can handle mana for a short while."
"How do you know that, my lord?"
"I know everything."
"Oh, yes… … ."
The knights simply nodded. It was always like that, so there was nothing to say in return. It may sound a bit strange to say that he knew everything, but the lord really did know everything.
"Anyway, it's nothing to you, so don't be afraid."
Mutants are faster and stronger than normal people, but they are still at the level of trained soldiers.
They may be threatening in large numbers, but they are no match for the knights here.
Vanessa said with a slightly trembling voice.
"I, I'll clean it up."
It's better to get rid of something disgusting quickly. She gathered her magic and stepped forward, determined not to even leave a corpse behind.
But Giselle stopped her and turned to the knights and smiled.
"We'll be seeing each other often from now on, so we should all get used to it, right?"
It means to hit right away. Kaor and the knights ran out with their weapons drawn with expressions of discomfort.
Tsk tsk tsk… … .
The mutants also stretched out their tentacle legs toward the knights, making strange noises.
Gordon shouted as he cut off the leg that was being shot at him.
"Why, sir! That's disgusting! Your blood is green!"
The sensation felt at the tip of my fingers was extremely unpleasant. If we were to judge it by its disgustingness, even the Palo and Gregs I saw in the Forest of Demons were no match for it.
And there was another problem.
Chewy!
"Huh? What is this!?"
The knights who were hit by the blood of the mutants flying into the air were startled and stepped back.
They all wore cloaks over their armor. Wherever the green blood of the mutants stained the cloth, it burned, giving off a pungent smell.
Jiselle said as she looked at the sight.
"Their blood is acidic poison. It would hurt quite a bit if you touched it."
"Then you should have told me in advance!"
"Who tells you everything in a real fight? There will be all sorts of guys coming out from now on, so always be careful."
"Ah!"
The only time Jiselle doesn't talk is when the knights can handle it by physically bumping into each other. Of course, most of the time it involves considerable pain.
Kwajik! Kwajik! Kwajik!
The mutants, who were at the level of regular soldiers, quickly fell down with their heads(?) split open. Since there were relatively few of them, it didn't take long for the knights to defeat all of the mutants.
Cheeeeeeek!
The blood of the mutants melted into the ground, releasing a pungent smell.
Lucas muttered as he looked at it.
"Wow… … These soldiers are going to be quite difficult to deal with?"
Its combat power is weak, but its poison is a problem. It is not much of a threat to knights, but those without mana will have difficulty breathing just by smelling it.
If I smelled that for too long, I was sure I would become seriously addicted.
After dealing with all the mutants, Giselle led the knights to the old man's house.
The old man was already out in front of his house, knowing that the village had been attacked.
Jiselle looked at him and asked.
"Are you the person in charge?"
"Yes, I am the village chief of this village."
"I had a hard time pretending to be normal. I bet Raviere is inside, right?"
"… … ."
The old man gritted his teeth. As expected, the tail was attached. One of the most important things in the church was ruined.
The old man looked around. He saw the emblems on the knights' chests, and the flags held by the soldiers who surrounded the village in the distance.
It was a famous nobleman's coat of arms that even the old people in this rural village knew.
"Are you the Earl of Fenris?"
"okay."
"I thought you were just at odds with the Duke, but I didn't expect you to track me down here… … . I should have gotten rid of you a long time ago."
"It's too late. Isn't it?"
Jiselle made a mocking expression.
It was thanks to the information from his previous life that he was able to ruin the plans of the Duke and the Salvation Church. Since his enemies did not know that he had returned, they had no reason to pay attention to him in the first place.
The old man looked at Giselle and said.
"God will punish your arrogance."
Gooooooo!
The old man's body suddenly began to grow larger. He had also learned the mana cultivation method of becoming a holy warrior.
"Kaaaah!"
The old man screamed with his red eyes shining. The knights looked at him with curiosity.
"Oh, that's the monster."
"This is my first time seeing a transformation this close."
"I'm seeing this for the first time, but it really suddenly got stronger. Is it similar to us?"
It's a monster that's only rumored. Some people saw it from afar when Giselle fought Harold, but most people didn't see it properly because they were busy fighting Desmond's army.
Even though it was my first time seeing someone I had seen before, I just let out a gasp as if I was seeing a celebrity.
Even the old man who had transformed into a monster seemed a little flustered at the sight of such a lack of tension.
"Kwaaah!"
The old man, half-mad, rushed at Giselle. At the same time, the knights blocked his path and swung their weapons.
Kaang! Kaang! Kaang!
"what!"
The knights who had stabbed him with their swords were surprised. Unlike the mutants, the sword did not enter the old man's body properly.
"Kuaaaah!"
The old man screamed and struck the swords around him with his fists. He then kicked one of the surprised knights in the stomach.
Phew!
"Ugh!"
The knight who was hit by the kick was sent flying backwards. The armor of the area hit was dented to the point of a dent.
Everyone took a step back without realizing it due to the immense force.
"Hey! Get out of the way!"
Lucas, the self-proclaimed 'genius of spearmanship' and the so-called 'lonely prankster', quickly dived in and stabbed the old man in the stomach with his spear.
It was an attack that took up a lot of mana.
Phew!
"oh?"
He went in, but it wasn't very deep. Lucas looked up and saw the old man's face, which had grown huge.
"This is crazy… … ."
Phew!
"Ugh!"
Lucas, who barely managed to raise his arm to block the attack before being hit in the face, was also blown away.
He rolled around and shouted.
"Ouch! I think my arm is broken!"
Lucas' arm was indeed broken on one side. This time it wasn't a joke.
"What power… … ."
The knights fell back again at the absurd force. They were swinging their tremendous strength without even being able to attack properly.
If that old man had taken up arms, several people might have died already.
Those monsters called Templars are said to be stronger the higher their original level is before they transform.
At least to that extent, he would have been skilled enough to match the abilities of a mid- to high-level knight. And unlike other monsters, he seemed to have some degree of reason left in him.
Jiselle looked at the old man and snickered.
"It wasn't for nothing that I was in charge of this village."
He was put in charge of this place because he had that much skill.
I admit that the opponent is quite strong, but apart from that, I didn't like the knights' reactions at all.
This was an opponent that could have been easily defeated without having to finish mana training using Dragon Heart Fragments, but I was pushed back by the momentum.
Since the attack didn't work, everyone panicked and missed their chance.
As Kaor was about to step forward, even blowing out his breath, Giselle stopped him and said.
"Wake up. You have to get used to dealing with guys like that."
At Giselle's one word, the knights' bodies were filled with martial arts. If you continue to act like this foolishly, you will go back and receive hellish training.
A strong murderous look began to appear in their eyes.
"Kuaaaah!"
The old man seemed to dislike the sight and attacked those around him more and more viciously.
Kaang! Kaang! Kaang!
The knights who had focused their minds did not take it lightly like the first time. Despite the shock that shook their bodies, they raised their swords and blocked the old man's attack.
And taking advantage of that gap, other knights attempted to attack.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The blade still didn't go in properly as if it was being struck with a blunt weapon. However, the knights did not panic and immediately switched places with the person behind them and continued their attack.
Because I trained to the point of being tired of the techniques to pass the exam against strong people.
Puppup ...
The knights, their bodies relaxed, poured out their mana without sparing any effort and pounded the old man's body.
"Kwaaah!"
The old man who had become a monster swung his fists wildly. Several knights were hit and blown away by the tremendous force and speed, but there were no problems.
As the two hundred knights took turns attacking him relentlessly, the old man began to fall back.
"Let's do it with an axe!"
When someone shouted, the knights put down their swords and pulled out hatchets from their belts.
Although it wasn't a weapon that knights would use, since they all learned it from Jiselle, they tended to equip it regardless of type.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The axes of the mana-imbued knights struck the old man's body countless times.
"Kwaaah!"
Even the monster's strong defense is ultimately based on mana. Even if it doesn't feel pain, the mana needed to protect its body will continue to be consumed.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The brawl between the knights and the monsters continued without end. The knights gritted their teeth and exploded their mana, and the wounds on the old man's body began to increase.
"Now the weapon is properly in place!"
"Just grind a little more!"
"Kill him!"
Like an old man who lost his reason and became a monster, the knights also fell into madness.
They were people who had lived rough lives from the beginning. As they immersed themselves in battle, their fierce spirit began to fully show.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
More than a hundred people are attacking one person, not counting those who fell behind.
The old man's body quickly lost mana and gradually became like a rag.
"It's almost over!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Kwaaah!"
No matter how strong the old man was, it was impossible for him to face 200 knights alone.
The body, which had almost completely depleted of mana, began to split apart as soon as the axe struck down.
"Hey hey! Get out of the way!"
Gordon charged at the old man, his muscles bulging like a monster. If nothing else, he was the strongest of the Fenris knights.
Gordon, who was holding on tightly, grabbed the old man's face fiercely and then cut his neck with the axe.
Bam!
"Krrrrr!"
The old man raised his arms and tried to grab Gordon, but the other knights held him back by holding his arms and legs. The old man, who had already lost all his strength, could not move properly.
Gordon took advantage of the gap and continued to strike the old man's neck.
"Die! Die! Please just die!"
Gordon also worked up a sweat and pulled out all the strength he had.
It was a truly tough monster. Even considering that it was significantly stronger than other monsters, it was a monster that was tiresome to deal with.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Krrrrrrr… … ."
Gordon's axe finally cut off the old man's head. Only then did the knights collapse to the ground, gasping for breath.
"Wow, it's really tough."
"What if hundreds of those guys run wild on the battlefield?"
"Whatever, it all comes down to it."
It was chilling to think that he had lasted this long while fighting alone against 200 knights.
In terms of sheer strength, it was comparable to the best swordsman in a region. If there were hundreds of such men, the battlefield would truly be scorched earth.
Of course, it wouldn't be common to find a monster that strong. But it couldn't be the only one.
At the knights' mutterings, Jiselle smiled and stepped forward.
"You worked hard. But why are you so scared? If you all become that strong, there won't be a problem."
"… … ."
The knights looked away, unable to find the words to respond.
If all 400 or so Fenris Knights had the strength of that monster, there wouldn't be a problem.
But until that happens, there will be hellish training waiting for you.
Leaving the resting knights behind, Giselle strode briskly toward the old man's house.
It was a much larger house than the others. As she approached, Jiselle opened her mouth.
"If you're done looking around, come out."
Squeak… … .
The one who appeared through the door was Raviere, who had been recovering while hiding.
He looked at Giselle with a cold expression and asked.
"How on earth… How on earth did you get here?"
"You guided me, didn't you?"
"There was no trace."
"That's your opinion."
"… … ."
I fought with the elves and the soldiers of other territories, so I came here being even more careful.
With my skills, I can sense the surrounding energy well enough. I checked several times to make sure there were no pursuers before entering the village.
And yet, he couldn't believe that Earl Fenris had come chasing him like this.
"Who are you?"
There was no need to ask how he had been pursued. A more fundamental question was needed.
As for Raviere, he could not understand the existence of Giselle at all.
Jiselle snickered.
"I don't know. Your role ends here. Thanks to you, I know something good."
Raviere also gave a twisted smile.
"No matter what you know, the result won't change. Our plan has already been fully prepared."
"No, things will be a lot different now."
Yes, it will definitely be different from the previous life. At least half of the cracks will be closed by yourself.
Raviere felt his strength build as he looked at Giselle's confident face.
"I can't help it. I'll kill you here with all my might."
The number of enemies was too great for him to face alone. However, he could not abandon this place and run away. He had to kill Earl Fenris and protect the plan, even if it meant sacrificing his own life.
Gooooooo!
Raviere, who had been gathering strength like that, was startled. He felt someone behind him.
Scratch!