The Knight Who Devours Magic - Chapter 61

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 61. The Black Knight
The catastrophe that unfolded in Rouble, in the Trian region of the Iron Kingdom, soon became known throughout the entire realm.
Mages had concealed their identities and seized control of an entire city!
A wave of terror orchestrated by mages—it had started months earlier in a rural place called Dracen.
Rumors had been circulating quietly about a new technique called the Veil, which allowed mages to conceal their Demonic Energy, but few believed them.
Yet after the catastrophe at the Rouble market administrator’s residence—a place with as many witnesses as victims—no one could deny the existence of this method.
Inevitably.
The mages had undoubtedly developed a way to hide their Demonic Energy!
This fact reached the powers-that-be of the Iron Kingdom as a source of terror.
And beyond that.
There exists one who can pierce even a Veil that priests cannot detect, and distinguish mages from ordinary folk.
A prodigy knight from Dracen. Having come of age only this year, he has already reached the Second Circle—or so it is confirmed.
Munno, the Black Knight of Dracen. The natural enemy of mages. He is the kingdom’s hope.
Munno’s second epithet began to spread throughout the Iron Kingdom.
And he himself heard through Enoch, the Count of Trian, that the royal court had begun to take an interest in him.
[Since this incident occurred in our Trian, we have immediate need of you, and I shall endeavor to prevent any interference from the capital. So for now, stand by. And… forgive me, Munno, for not having believed in you properly before.]
The Count ordered Cloy and Munno to restore order to the devastated city of Rouble and wait.
Of course.
“You know nothing of administration? You don’t even have the minimum qualifications?”
“I’m just a ward, and I won’t be inheriting any lands. My ten-year-old brother probably understands it better than I do. Besides, as you know, I even received my knight’s commission as a gift.”
“And you call that a point of pride! Ugh. Listen here, how in the world am I supposed to handle all of this…? Surely not just me? I don’t know either! I’m a hunter by trade!”
“…There should be administrators who survived. You can simply assign tasks to them.”
“That’s exactly the problem—even when I give orders, I need to understand what I’m doing!”
“Besides, coming from Cloy, the vice-commander of Trian, those orders will carry far more weight than from some fledgling freelance knight.”
“You little…!?”
“If there’s work you need done, just say the word. I’ll help with full dedication, Vice-commander Cloy.”
“Argh!”
The burden of restoring Rouble fell entirely on Cloy’s shoulders.
* * *
‘My apologies, Cloy.’
It was true that he didn’t know much about administration, but from what he’d glimpsed over Palmer’s shoulder, the bureaucracy of this world was not nearly as complicated as that of his previous life.
If he—someone who’d received a decent education in his former existence—set his mind to it, he might manage his fair share of the work.
‘Though how much help that would be, I couldn’t say.’
But his true reason for dumping the burden on Cloy went deeper than that.
‘Right now, it’s better if I stay out of sight as much as possible.’
Cloy would understand this as well.
– I couldn’t believe it even as I watched. Evolution during combat. Third Circle at sixteen… And that ability you used against the mage… Is that right, brother?
Mayer and most of the Holy Knights who had fought alongside him were bound to have noticed Munno’s capacities.
They too, while not as sensitive as Munno, possessed Holy Power attuned to Demonic Energy.
They had even managed to deduce why such a weak demon had been summoned when the old witch sacrificed herself at the end.
Naturally, Munno had worried that the Temple might interfere through these Holy Knights.
But then.
– All of you: the abilities of our brother Munno that you witnessed in today’s battle—speak of them to no one. Swear to our God. For the sake of the comrade who saved us, who fought at our side!
– He will grow into a star that will yet strike a mighty blow against the servants of that unmerciful demon. So until he becomes that star, we ourselves must guard this secret, lest he be exposed to the forces of evil. Do you understand?!
– Yes!
Mayer and the other Holy Knights departed, having sworn before their God to keep Munno’s abilities secret.
– There were two Sixth Circle mages, though far inferior to that demon cult master. But there was not a single Fifth Circle. Even the Fourth Circles, except for a few, were nothing to call elite.
– The structure of this mage organization in Rouble is highly irregular. We intend to investigate it further, brother.
– As we foresee it, our battles against the servants of the demon will only grow fiercer. At each turn, you must be a great strength for us.
Yet even knowing instinctively that he was destined to fight mages, they refrained from any interference whatsoever.
‘That was unexpected.’
Moreover, even Cloy—whose sensitivity to Demonic Energy was limited—seemed to have grasped something similar.
– Even as a Third Circle now, not a Second, a knight facing a Sixth Circle mage makes no sense. That’s not an ordinary Artifact, is it?
– The way it suddenly transformed into armor, the power it wields… An Artifact that evolves depending on its opponent? I’ve never heard of such a thing.
– Those without strength are sinful merely for possessing treasure. Hide it as much as you can.
Though she didn’t know that this armor was the manifestation of his very ability, she recognized well enough that it was no ordinary object.
Whoosh.
In the moment he compressed the armor to its minimum volume, it took the form of bands wrapped around his wrists and ankles.
‘Even when compressed, the weight remains unchanged…’
But if he expanded it to maximum again.
Clank-clank-clank.
Full Plate Armor envelops his entire body without a gap.
Munno smiled as he looked at the armor, which like a carapace had become essentially part of his own body.
‘I’m drifting further from human with each passing moment, but at least it looks impressive.’
The thick, sharply protruding chest plate flows down to his toes in graceful curves without the slightest flaw.
Yet the joints move with limitless smoothness, and the shoulder sections—wrapped in the thickest layers—sport pointed charging horns while bending freely and flexibly in all directions.
Similarly, the elbows are wrapped in triple-layered joints and fitted with horns, making them look perfectly suited for crushing people in Unarmed Combat.
And yet.
Crunch.
“Even something like this is possible…….”
A Full Plate Armor that even permits him to arch his back and brace against the ground.
‘It’s become metal with elasticity. I’ve gained several times the strength I had at Second Circle.’
The area below his waist, which guards a man’s center, finished with adequate width without hindering movement—and he was grateful beyond measure that this part didn’t protrude like Iron’s dreadful formal wear.
On top of that, the metal coat hanging in three layers from the back down to below the buttocks, like a peacock’s feathers, protected all the way to the back of the knee without catching at all.
The knee armor, wrapped as if in triple rather than double layers, protruded moderately—less than the elbows but still sharp enough to look perfectly suited for crushing people as well.
‘Am I only thinking about crushing people……? No, it’s only natural.’
Given the nature of the Dracen Grand Sword Technique, which handles massive two-handed swords, Unarmed Combat at close range was equally important.
‘If only there were a helmet to complete it. Though wouldn’t that obstruct my vision?’
The combat gauntlets flexibly wrapped around his hands and each finger joint even had small protrusions to prevent slipping, and the safety-shoe-form boots were reinforced far beyond before—it was truly the perfect combat armor.
Full Plate Armor so expensive that in Dracen only his father possessed one, yet he had obtained it custom-made.
He’d never seen armor of this style anywhere in this world, yet it felt strangely familiar.
‘I must have seen it somewhere in my past life.’
Likely a design he’d unconsciously copied from creative works like games or comics.
A design so deeply embedded in his mind that it pleased him immensely.
But others seemed to hold different opinions.
—It’s far too grotesque and menacing. Especially those gauntlets and boots—they look truly bizarre. It seems like one of the heaviest and thickest heavy armors, doesn’t it feel stifling?
That’s what Cloy had said.
‘As expected, the aesthetics of this world don’t align with mine.’
Besides, unlike her concern, since this entire armor had become his body, there was no reason to feel stifled.
Rather, the underclothes he wore beneath felt more cumbersome.
Of course.
Thud.
The weight—such that merely stamping his foot lightly left footprints deeply impressed in the training ground—did give him some pause.
‘I’ll never swim again in my lifetime.’
That was the only inconvenience.
The heavier the weight, the more it favored most combat.
He thought it would suffice to simply exercise caution in swamps, coastal areas, and riverbank fights.
Though he doubted such situations would arise often in the Iron Kingdom, where most terrain was mountains and plains.
—I understand you’re at an age of vigorous youth, but I believe it would be wise to refrain from public appearances for a while. Brother.
—Right. That armor is clearly a treasure, but you’re still only Third Circle, so if you’re careless, you’ll attract far too many pests.
—And although truly skilled practitioners will surely recognize Lord Munno’s level, at sixteen, Third Circle will invite considerable restraint. I myself have never heard of such an achievement. Brother.
Munno recalled again the advice Mayer had left before departing.
Since Cloy had agreed as well, he should take administrative complaints merely as indirect grumbling about excessive work.
Yes, that was it.
‘I’m not being selfish—I’m receiving their consideration.’
Since his conscience stung, he decided to abandon thoughts about Rouble’s probation right there.
The truth was he had something far more urgent to attend to.
It was time to test the body that had suddenly evolved in this pressing situation.
Understanding one’s own abilities properly was the foundation of knighthood.
“Haaaaaah.”
The moment he gripped the pitch-black two-handed sword wrought from Spirit Art, the blade itself trembled.
The powerful force of his evolved body sent a thrill through him.
Thud.
Boom!
With merely a light swing, the air ruptured and wind erupted forth.
The blade-cutting strike from his initial awakening and this casual blow now seemed hardly different in power.
‘Excellent.’
Thud.
As he planted his feet and lunged forward, his accelerated body appeared instantly before the wall some ten meters ahead and drove in with his shoulder.
Craaaaaash!
A deep, rumbling roar.
A blow so intense it seemed to make the entire training ground resound.
‘Even just a shoulder charge would shatter stone walls flat.’
And yet the impact transmitted through his body inside the armor was barely noticeable.
What that meant was unmistakable.
‘If I just protect my head…….’
From now on, he would never take damage from a common soldier’s attack.
In fact, in every kingdom except the Mage Empire, a knight clad in custom-fitted Full Plate Armor complete with a helmet was regarded as a formidable tactical weapon on the battlefield.
And his armor—no, the durability of his armor was far beyond ordinary Full Plate Mail standards.
If you called it Artifact-grade Full Plate Mail, its value was simply incalculable.
“Ha!”
Thump.
He kicked off the ground and jumped, and even in that massive armor, his fist reached the training ground ceiling.
Of course, he couldn’t leap dozens of meters high on leg strength alone the way Cloy could, nor could he augment his physical abilities with Holy Power like Mayer did.
‘It’s enough.’
The very fact that he could jump this high while wearing such armor should be counted as superhuman athleticism.
And besides, he had the Metal Chains to assist his movement.
Just as in the last battle, he could use them to jump even higher.
Exactly like now.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh.
‘Here I go.’
The Metal Chains shot forth from his wrists and forearms, bending to his will as they began to aid his movement.
“Hrrgh!”
Bang.
Crash-crash-crash-crash.
The knight in Black Armor swept across the vast training ground like lightning, slashing in all directions.
Thump. Crash.
Crunch-crunch-crunch.
Each time he pushed off the floor with the Metal Chains and forcibly twisted his balance to ignore inertia, it created a deafening noise.
‘Now even thin wood will shatter the moment I touch it.’
But that was a trivial downside compared to having gained the ability to move three-dimensionally, using ceiling, floor, and walls alike as footholds.
And honestly, he didn’t mind at all.
If anything.
“Whahahaha!”
The exhilarating, violent movement, the extreme mobility and intoxicating rush of destruction it brought, reassured him that he had grown, filling him with euphoria.
‘At this level, even that Karina…….’
It seemed he could beat her.
Munno momentarily forgot the commotion outside and surrendered himself to the base pleasure of it all.
“Hehehehe.”
How long did he rampage like that?
The moment he sensed his own excitement growing too much, he stopped moving.
Scrrrrriiiiitch.
Thump.
“Haaaah.”
He caught his breath for a moment, then surveyed the training ground he had damaged.
Even if the Rouble knights who originally owned this facility had conducted group training, it would never have been torn up like this.
“Tsk…….”
The marks of destruction he had vented his stress into gradually calmed his mind again.
‘Stay sharp. Things won’t go this smoothly from here on out.’
Had his life ever gone this well before?
Though it’s hard to call brushing death a few times “easy.”
‘Still, I came out on top, so things did go well.’
Which was precisely why it bothered him.
‘My luck shouldn’t be this good…….’
Whether you called it defeatism or pessimistic fatalism, given how his life had been, such thoughts were unavoidable.
Even just in this present life, until his awakening only a few months ago, it had been nothing but hardship.
He lost his parents the moment he was born, was captured by cultists and experimented on, then spent ten years with a demon lodged in his mind.
There was no way that could be called an ordinary fate.
‘Something’s going to go wrong. Definitely.’
Though he had no evidence for it, expecting as much seemed better for his mental health.
Moreover, he couldn’t rest easy about the development of his martial power either.
When the blue flames had consumed his armor and body, and he’d absorbed the old witch’s Demonic Energy, he’d felt it with certainty.
Even if he’d absorbed that vast amount of Source Mana in perfect condition, he would never be able to cross the threshold of the 4-Circle—that much was clear.
To break through that wall again and evolve further, something more than mere energy would be required.
If he couldn’t discover what that something was, he might remain trapped behind this wall forever—a daunting thought, though not entirely without hope.
Fortunately, he wasn’t completely without options.
He had no shortage of people around him whose counsel he could seek.
‘Should I ask Cloy? Or perhaps Father…?’
Lost in such thoughts, a quiet laugh escaped him.
“I’ve grown comfortable, haven’t I?”
And with good reason.
After the battle just past, a new certainty had taken root.
‘As long as they’re not a Seventh Star-class mage, I can face them.’
The conviction that he’d acquired enough power to become what his father had called ‘the mage’s natural enemy.’
With that thought, even if his abilities became known, he found he wasn’t afraid.
Besides.
‘I’ll always move forward head-on.’
Whatever the future held, he would not spend it fleeing, as he never had before.
Even if it meant colliding, breaking, shattering.
‘I move forward.’
That was Han Moonho’s way—Munno Dracen’s way of living.
The stubborn pride built from the ground up, buffeted from every side, and the last shred of dignity he possessed.
‘Yes. That’s how it must be.’
Though, for now…
“…I want to rest.”
The moment his unspoken thought crossed his lips unbidden, a bitter smile tugged at his mouth.
How many times had he fought recently, throwing his life into the balance?
The victories won were sweet, but the mental exhaustion was another matter entirely.
It had been only months since leaving home, and already he found himself longing for Dracen’s barren lands and its warm people.
If this incident caused those cultists to retreat, wouldn’t he be able to return?
Was that too optimistic?
‘Or perhaps they’ll pursue me even more aggressively…’
But what if the Iron Kingdom and the Temple took notice? Wouldn’t that change things?
He was still lost in such thoughts when—
—Munno! We have a transmission from Trian!
The news he’d been waiting for had arrived.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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