The Knight Who Devours Magic - Chapter 62

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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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Episode 62. Back to Drassen
[The Royal Court wanted to summon you, but I refused on your behalf. Since the terror started in Trion, I claimed we’d root out the mages from Trion first. The pretext is solid enough—you won’t be transported to the capital. Of course, if you wanted to further burnish the reputation of the “Black Knight,” I wouldn’t stop you, but…….]
“Not at all, sir. That’s not my intention.”
[……Yes, I thought as much.]
Through the Communication Crystal, the Count’s face crinkled with quiet amusement.
‘The Black Knight…….’
He’d never imagined that a name he’d thrown together carelessly from an Artifact would become his epithet.
And all of it was——
[I didn’t expect the Holy Knights, Mayer foremost among them, to praise you so. The Heresy Inquisitors are fanatics with nothing in their heads but God and scripture.]
Because of those fanatics.
“……I didn’t expect it either, sir.”
[Now that both the Temple and the Royal Court are paying attention again, those heretic cultists will likely keep their heads down. But we must root them out completely while we have the chance. If Seven Star truly stands behind all this, we need to find out who they are and where they’re hiding.]
“What would you have me do?”
[First, we need to patrol Trion’s tributary territories and verify that no more cultists remain. That’s also the justification I gave for refusing the Royal Court’s summons. However…….]
“However?”
It was the quiet anticipation gleaming in Munno’s eyes that gave it away.
[……It wouldn’t be amiss if the first of those territories happened to be Drassen.]
The Count spoke with a smile, offering the very answer Munno had been hoping for.
“Truly, sir?”
Color flooded naturally into his face.
[Yes, truly. I can tell just from your expression. You’re worn thin, aren’t you?]
“My expression……?”
Those words struck deeper into his chest than he expected.
[It’s not good. Go back and rest awhile.]
“Are you certain I may do so?”
[This isn’t idle talk. Drassen is the busiest it’s ever been right now. If you’re truly the target of those cultists, there’s a high chance they’ll make a move against Drassen as well. And if Drassen falls, the entire northern flank of Trion crumbles.]
The Monster Wave.
A calamity from the Northern Mountain Range that the Northern Region faced every winter.
And Drassen stood at the very forefront of that defense.
A barren land where Count Enoch Trion—the shield of the North—had sent his most trusted knight, Lyan Drassen, equipped even with an Artifact and his own daughter; a place that was more fortress than territory in name.
Given that, the Count’s words held truth—there was indeed a high likelihood that it would become the mages’ next target.
And yet even so.
[Root out any heretic cultists hiding in Drassen, hold back the Monster Wave, and render aid to the family. Then, afterward, sweep from Ebien onward and hunt down the mages. That is my command.]
“……Thank you, sir.”
That command was, for Munno, scarcely distinguishable from a reprieve.
And for that very reason, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat guilty.
While it was true he was exhausted, hunting down mages was far from a matter of little importance.
“Would it be acceptable if I postpone searching the other territories? After all, the tension with Aslan remains merely patched over, does it not?”
[Pah, don’t concern yourself. Aslan’s lot has lost all standing now.]
“Sir?”
[The Holy Knights testified that they saw that cursed woman’s face. Renok Aslan will have no choice but to back down. That pretty face of his never imagined it would become evidence.]
……The Count and his colorful language.
Still, Munno found he couldn’t set his worries aside.
And yet.
[Hah hah hah. You there, drop that expression. Do you think the world rests on your shoulders alone?]
“Of course not, but…….”
[Don’t underestimate the Temple and the Royal Court—they’ve been fighting mages for centuries. Now that the truth is known, they’ll soon find the means to tear away that “veil.”]
“Ah…….”
[There is no task in this world that only one person can do. When need demands it, it gets done. Confidence is admirable, but don’t let it become arrogance.]
At the Count’s counsel, warmth crept into his cheeks.
Even as the words themselves were cautionary, there was no mistaking that the Count was looking out for him.
[But it’s also true that your abilities matter. So go home and recover your strength. Help with the family affairs too.]
Even if those family affairs were bound to be grueling.
“I shall discharge my duty faithfully and then resume the hunt for them.”
For him, it was a command to be grateful for.
And beyond that——
[Munno.]
“Yes, sir?”
[You do realize you’re in a position where you needn’t follow my orders, don’t you?]
“Ah…….”
[“I’ve granted you the rank of Free Knight, but there’s no need to bind yourself too tightly to Trion. Think of it as a request from an old man.”]
The Count had shown Munno a consideration he hadn’t anticipated.
What Free Knight in this realm would dare refuse a command from Count Enoch Trion?
Munno felt that the Count—who was called the Bulwark of the Northern Region—showed him an affection that was strangely particular, even undeserved.
They weren’t even blood relatives.
“……Why do you show me such consideration, my lord?”
[“Because I’ve come to see that you possess potential beyond my expectations.”]
“I beg your pardon?”
[“A great bird is not kept in a narrow cage. Fly as high as you are able.”]
That Bulwark of the North, speaking of himself as a narrow cage.
Could there be higher praise than this?
“……Thank you, my lord.”
All Munno could do was express his gratitude for such consideration.
* * *
From Ruble in the southwest of Trion to the Drassen territories in the north, even at full gallop on the main roads, the journey took a week.
Yet Munno covered that distance in exactly six days.
“Haah—haah……. Damn it, ugh. What kind of hellish ordeal, ugh, is this?”
As the evening sun began to dip toward the horizon, Munno breathed hard, watching the familiar mountain range draw closer in the distance.
It couldn’t be helped—he had been running on foot along the main roads now for half a day straight.
“Fine, forget it. Let me rest.”
Thud.
The moment he collapsed where he sat, Munno smiled bitterly at the shallow indentation in the earth beneath him.
“Damn it…….”
He hadn’t foreseen this disadvantage would arise.
His current state stemmed from the fact that, half a day after departing Ruble, his horse had given out.
His Armor and body had grown heavier and more solid in proportion to his increased strength—something an ordinary horse couldn’t bear.
‘Even if I remove the Armor, the weight remains the same.’
At a trot or canter, a horse might manage, but running at such speeds on foot was faster than riding anyway.
He had that capability now.
‘If only I had Holy Power……. No, no. That’s not the path for me either.’
Since his body was exhausted, his mind wandered to pointless thoughts.
Thinking about this happening every time he traveled forward left him feeling lost.
Realistically speaking, the only mounts that might bear him were…….
“Divine Beast hybrids……. For crying out loud. What’s realistic about that?”
He laughed hollowly at his own words.
In this world, there existed beings called Divine Beasts—a concept that stood in contrast to magical beasts and demonic creatures.
Legendary animals said to have received the blessing of the divine.
Among them were special winged or horned steeds like Pegasi and Unicorns, creatures that had been known as imaginary animals even in his past life’s world.
It was far from mere legend—stories of people witnessing actual flying horses were not uncommon.
‘When I think about it, the monsters and Divine Beasts of this world have names similar to what I knew in my past life…….’
Was it coincidence? Or was there some connection between this world and the world of his previous life?
……Pfft.
“What does it matter…….”
Since he couldn’t know the answer, there was no point in wondering.
His thoughts shifted back to more practical desires.
‘If only I could obtain one of those Divine Beasts…….’
Of course, the Divine Beast Munno had in mind was equally rare.
Naturally, stories of people capturing and raising them, or riding them around, existed only in tales.
“No, wait. They do exist in reality. The Dragon Sword Duke…….”
That man, one of the Seven Star of the Airen Kingdom, was said to actually ride a Flying Dragon, and there were many witnesses.
And while there might be others like the Dragon Sword Duke in other lands that he simply didn’t know of, he couldn’t be sure.
But even if that were true.
‘They’d be just as rare.’
It seemed nearly lottery-level improbable.
Actually, if it were a lottery, at least I’d have a chance to buy a ticket.
‘Another method, then…….’
The truly realistic option would be to obtain something like a Crux—one of the hybrid war-mounts created by the Mage Empire Deus, bred from a cross between magical beasts and ordinary horses.
But even those were treated as strategic imperial resources and weren’t sold to outsiders.
“For crying out loud……!”
So I’m meant to keep running everywhere on foot?
A so-called knight, and yet?
“Ugh.”
His irritation found no better outlet than flinging innocent dirt into the empty air.
Then.
Growl-growl-growl.
“Mm…….”
Hearing that desperate call of his own body, Munno cast his gaze toward the forest beside the road.
Drassen was close, within reach, but for now he’d need to rest here tonight if he wanted to recover his strength.
The one mercy: hunting had become easier as his abilities grew.
* * *
‘There it is…….’
As his physical abilities developed, so too did his senses.
‘Found it.’
His sense of smell, already keen by nature, had sharpened to the point where he could track forest creatures with an almost canine precision.
A faint scent, terribly familiar.
The moment he caught it, he simply tossed the dead snakes he’d caught earlier into the brush.
‘Pig meat’s better anyway.’
Shwk.
Crackle-snap.
Munno drew the ‘sword’ from his back and pushed through the undergrowth into the forest.
His dark hair and black armor melted seamlessly into the gathering dusk.
“Snuffle.”
A wild boar, rooting at the forest floor for something to eat.
The instant he saw it, Munno hurled the ‘sword’.
The two-handed blade compressed into the shape of a small dart.
Whoooosh.
“Huh?”
The boar’s head snapped up at that chill touch.
The compact but weighty projectile drove straight into its throat.
Gush.
“Squeal……?”
Thud.
That was the end of the forest boar—a thing that weighed at least two hundred kilograms.
The moment it collapsed.
“Excellent~.”
Munno’s mouth flooded with saliva as he bolted toward the carcass.
Then, all at once, his brow furrowed.
‘Hm?’
A sickening aura that triggered senses apart from smell.
He felt a presence carrying Demonic Energy approaching steadily from deeper in the forest.
It was faint and contemptible enough that the Demon Devourer hardly stirred, but Demonic Energy was Demonic Energy nonetheless.
And soon.
Croak?
Croak.
A familiar and thoroughly unpleasant sound reached his ears.
“Squawk!”
“Shriek!”
“Screech!”
Small, grotesque humanoid creatures erupted from the brush.
Green-skinned, hook-nosed things wielding blow guns that spat poison darts from their mouths, and daggers.
Goblins.
Common sight at the foot of the Northern Mountain Range.
‘What are they doing here……?’
He was taken aback, though only briefly.
They froze at the sight of him, then saw the boar at his feet and opened fire with their blow guns, hurling poison darts without hesitation.
Of course.
Tap-tap-tap-tap.
They seemed not to understand that such things meant nothing against a man sheathed in armor.
“These creatures…….”
Crack.
Thoughts could wait.
The blade that had burrowed through the boar’s neck reformed into a massive Great Sword in his grip.
Bang.
Munno’s anchored frame was already reaching out with the touch of death toward those hideous, diminutive creatures before him.
Screee.
A single sweeping slash carved through the front ranks of monsters, cleaving them cleanly in two.
But.
Even as his blade sang, the Demon Devourer in his mind warned him of smaller creatures drawing nearer with each stride.
At that, despite everything, Munno’s gaze turned instinctively northward.
“Could it be……?”
If Drassen were still intact, there was no reason for low-ranking monsters from the Northern Mountain Range to appear south of his domain.
Seized by urgency, Munno’s pace quickened.

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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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