How a Two-Life Scoundrel Lives - Chapter 64
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
【Chapter 64】
Goddess of War.
Or Sword Empress.
Besides those, there were Blood Assassin, Northern Sword Demon, Iron-Blooded Successor, Valkyrie of Blood and Fire, and so on…
The epithets for Selena van Sigmund numbered over dozens among both enemies and allies.
This meant that her martial prowess ranked within the top five in the Northern Region.
For such a person to show herself at Bowden Fortress was an extremely unusual occurrence.
Why?
Her rank was no less than Brigadier General, meaning she was a general-level officer.
Moreover, she was also the brigade commander of the [Camaira Brigade], considered one of the most elite military units within the Dekaron army.
Who would have expected a commander who should be leading armies at the front lines, not here in the Blood-Soaked Land, to personally set foot in a small fortress like Bowden Fortress?
Especially when even Rebesk, the commander of the 2nd Army Command Headquarters, hadn’t shown his face here.
“So you’re the Dark Mage Crowley.”
Selena’s gaze turned toward Crowley.
“How dare a young brat call an elder by name.”
Crowley growled, but Selena didn’t even blink, as if she were accustomed to such profanity.
In fact, anyone who had rolled around battlefields for years would become like that.
Having rolled around battlefields for years since completing the Succession Ritual, how much abuse must she have heard from barbarians?
She had heard all kinds of curses that ordinary people couldn’t even imagine, so Crowley’s growling was nothing more than the barking of a frightened dog.
Of course, by now most barbarians didn’t dare curse at her openly, and when they encountered her, they usually ran away with their tails between their legs.
“I, Selena van Sigmund, by order of His Grace the Grand Duke Guntram van Sigmund, lord of Dekaron, have come to execute the Dark Mage Crowley. Surrender quietly. Then I promise to at least not kill you painfully.”
“Damn bitch spouting nonsense!”
Crowley gripped his wand and growled.
“No matter how much of a Sigmund you are, what makes you think you can do anything to me!”
Around Crowley, who gripped his skull-shaped wand, portals to subspace opened, and various undead monsters poured out from within.
That was the terror of Dark Mages, or more precisely, those belonging to necromancers.
Why else would they be called one-man armies?
Though they might appear to be alone, they could summon dozens to tens of thousands of undead monsters, so facing a necromancer was like facing an entire army.
“Ugh!”
“There are too many!”
The soldiers of Bowden Fortress trembled in terror.
The undead monsters Crowley summoned were so numerous that the cramped Bowden Fortress was about to burst.
Nevertheless, Selena didn’t even budge.
She simply let Crowley do as he pleased…
‘How foolish.’
Carlisle mocked Crowley for not running away.
‘If it were me, I would have run the moment I saw her. Though I’d die anyway.’
However, Crowley, who had been stuck in dungeons for decades researching dark magic and gradually creating undead monsters, couldn’t possibly know who Selena was.
‘First, I need to get up…’
Just as Carlisle gritted his teeth and tried to stand using Grimgrand as a staff.
“Die!”
One of the centurions of the Butcher Tribe, a loyal subordinate of Zarkan, lunged at Carlisle.
Crack!
A wall suddenly rose up, blocking the barbarian warrior’s path.
Crash!
The barbarian warrior slammed into the wall and was knocked back.
“Young Master!”
Evangeline, the earth elementalist, rushed over at incredible speed, sliding as if gliding, and positioned herself beside Carlisle.
That wasn’t all.
“Young Master, have you finally achieved Blood Mark Awakening? This old man is so moved that tears blur my vision.”
The white-haired old gentleman.
Maranello, once called the Grim Reaper of the North, a legendary knight and now the butler of the Sigmund Family Estate, wiped away tears with his handkerchief.
It wasn’t only Selena who had come to save Carlisle and Bowden Fortress.
* * *
‘The letter worked.’
Carlisle realized why Selena, Evangeline, and Maranello had appeared at Bowden Fortress.
About ten days ago.
Carlisle had received letters from Evangeline and Maranello and had sent replies.
– Please deliver this to Head Butler Maranello at the Main House. This is a very important letter, so please deliver it as quickly as possible.
Carlisle had included information about the Dark Mage Crowley in his letter, but he hadn’t expected much.
Who would believe a story from a wastrel sent to the battlefield who suddenly claimed to have detected signs of dark mage activity?
‘Well, I sent the letter, so there should be some reaction. If there’s no reaction, there’s nothing I can do.’
It was just a letter written with the mindset of having nothing to lose, but who would have thought it would work?
“What are you lot?”
Zarkan growled at Evangeline and Maranello.
“Where do a woman and an old man get off interfering in sacred combat! As punishment for daring to interfere in battle, I’ll cut off your limbs and slice open your bellies!”
“Eek!”
Startled Evangeline hid behind Carlisle like a rabbit.
Though she was also a strong Northerner, she had no combat experience and this was her first time on a battlefield, so it was perfectly natural for her to be frightened by the intimidation of Zarkan, a 4-star barbarian warrior.
“Hehe.”
Maranello smiled broadly.
“Now, barbarian chieftain. Watch your language. Haven’t you frightened our young lady with those vicious threats?”
“What?”
Killing intent gathered in Zarkan’s eyes.
“An old continental who’s not even worth boiling and eating dares to run his mouth. I’ll have to tear your corpse to shreds and feed it to the monsters.”
“Even after all these years, your habits remain the same.”
Maranello shook his head as if he couldn’t help it.
“If I had my youthful temperament, I would have made sure you couldn’t run your mouth so carelessly, but I suppose I really have grown old. Seeing as I don’t feel like going that far.”
“Shameless continental old man. Aren’t you ashamed to be alive at that age? If you were a warrior, you should have died on the battlefield before growing old…”
“Hehe. This won’t do.”
Maranello smoothly drew out the feather duster hanging from his waist.
“It seems I need to correct your manners a bit.”
“Shut up! You old…”
Zarkan swung his axe at Maranello.
Whack!
“Agh!”
Zarkan screamed and staggered.
Having been struck squarely on the crown of his head by the feather duster, he seemed to be seeing stars.
“Your problem is that mouth of yours, that damn muzzle.”
“Gah!”
Smack, whack!
Each time the feather duster struck Zarkan’s mouth, bloody yellow teeth came pouring out!
“This is impossible!”
“How can he beat a barbarian chieftain with a feather duster…?”
The soldiers who witnessed Maranello teaching Zarkan manners were amazed in disbelief.
This was because Maranello, unlike other elderly men, was very handsome and exuded a dignified charm, but at first glance appeared ‘completely’ weak.
Only Carlisle knew that if Maranello set his mind to it, he could slaughter not only Zarkan but all the enemies present here.
Butler Maranello’s feather duster was not just that—the Northern Reaper’s wielded Inheritance Sword [Grimreaper] was a merciless and cruel weapon that harvested death.
Crack, crack!
“Kugh, kheugh!”
“How about it, do you feel like speaking nicely now?”
“Sh-shut up, old man… Aaagh!”
“You truly know nothing of manners, do you.”
“You damn bastaaaard!”
Zarkan, whose mouth was so swollen it had burst open, refused to stop spewing curses even though more than half his teeth were broken and fallen out.
Like a true Barbarian, it wasn’t easy to instill manners through ordinary corporal punishment and discipline.
Of course, Maranello hadn’t personally stepped forward to discipline him expecting Zarkan to speak nicely.
Maranello was a legendary Knight who had roamed battlefields for decades in the past, killing over ten thousand Barbarians.
How could such a person not know the ways of Barbarians?
It was an undeniable fact that Maranello understood Barbarians better than anyone else present here.
Nevertheless, Maranello’s beating of Zarkan might have been his way of controlling his heart to avoid breaking his self-imposed vow of non-killing.
“I’ll help you, Young Master.”
“No, it’s fine. I can stand up.”
“But…”
“I said it’s fine.”
It was when Carlisle stubbornly tried to get up by himself.
Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh―!!!
A cold wind.
Selena’s Sword Wind swept through Crowley’s minions like a howling northern blizzard.
Whoosh, whoosh!
Nearly a thousand undead monsters instantly turned to ash and crumbled.
A one-person army?
To Selena van Sigmund, an army composed of low-grade undead was nothing more than insignificant gnats.
Selena’s strength, accustomed to fighting the highest-ranking Barbarian Warriors on the Northern Region’s Front Lines daily, was enough to annihilate Crowley’s Undead Army with a Single Sword Strike.
* * *
“Im, impossible! Th, this can’t be! This can’t be happening!”
Crowley clutched his head in anguish, unable to believe what he was seeing.
The Undead Army he had painstakingly gathered corpse by corpse throughout his lifetime had evaporated in the blink of an eye—for him, it was no different from losing his entire fortune in an instant.
Moreover, given the occupational characteristics of a Dark Mage who must live in hiding for life, gathering that many corpses again would be impossible.
“Surrender quietly. This is my final offer. If you resist further, then…”
“Wait.”
Carlisle suddenly approached Selena and spoke.
“I’ll do it.”
“What…?”
“I’m going to kill that bastard.”
Selena was clearly quite surprised when Carlisle pointed at Crowley and spoke.
Beyond wanting to face Crowley, the fact that this scoundrel had not only achieved Blood Mark Awakening but was also performing brilliantly in this difficult battle was truly shocking to Selena.
She just didn’t show it given the circumstances…
“You’re going to kill him? That Dark Mage?”
“I want to.”
“It won’t be easy.”
“I don’t care.”
“Hmm.”
Selena pondered for a moment, then spoke.
“Sorry to say this, but capturing him alive takes priority.”
“I don’t want to.”
“…?”
“I said I don’t want to.”
Carlisle gripped Grimgand tightly as if he would never back down.
“I’m going to kill that bastard. Me.”
“Why are you being so stubborn?”
“I don’t know about that. I want to kill him. With my own hands. So let me kill him.”
“Again, the dark mage must be captured ali…”
“Please.”
“What did you just say? Plea… what?”
Selena doubted her own ears.
She wondered if these words had truly come from the mouth of that foul-tempered scoundrel Little Brother.
“I’m asking you please.”
“Please?”
“Yeah, please.”
“What a day this is. Hearing the word ‘please’ from you.”
“Oh come on.”
Carlisle frowned.
“Please just listen to my request. You’re going to kill him anyway after taking him.”
“Of course that’s true, but… you know.”
“…?”
“Is that how you ask for a favor?”
“That’s…”
Carlisle was momentarily speechless, unable to say anything.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————