Chapter 23

Chapter 23

I took out the Vessel.

With this, there is no need to worry about losing Berger.

Scattering mana like this, I can confirm the string connected to Berger.

“What, why is that Zygmunt guy fleeing like that?”

“Seeing all sorts of things.”

“Is the knight who chased famous? That, there are big shots recognizable just by looking at the armor.”

I gestured to the guards talking not far away.

“You’re working hard. Come here a bit!”

To the guards approaching tilting their heads, I showed the copper-colored seal with a slightly red light swirling inside the bosom.

The emblem of the staff caught in the tongs is of the Carpenter workshop that casts magic items, and this copper-colored metal was not just copper but a brass alloy called orichalcum that raised mana conductivity.

They confirmed the inverted hand embossed below that seal.

Without that inverted hand it is the highest executive of the Carpenter family, and with that inverted hand it means the most important guest of the territory.

“By any chance, Equira’s magic practitioner... Sir Ronan?”

“Yes, correct.”

It seems there is something conveyed in advance.

“Ah, really an honor. I thought you were a merchant perfectly. Sorry for not recognizing in advance.”

“No. It means I disguised well. Thank you for the compliment.”

“What did you say that he flees straight like that? That Zygmunt thief who was like a siege weapon fleeing without even fighting...”

“Siege weapon?”

“Whatever blocking, he destroyed all. I magically blocked the door so he couldn’t come and go to the guard corps and carried dry rations in the bosom, but instead of the magically blocked door he just destroys the whole wall and enters.”

Quite interesting.

“Does he have that much monstrous strength?”

“I don’t know well.”

Then another guard beside said.

“Honestly I don’t think so, magic practitioner.”

“Is that so?”

“Every time fighting the red parts among the armor flash, that guy is clearly equipment power.”

Hmm, I should also look at that part a bit.

“I heard the opinion well. More than that, I’ll make one request.”

“Yes, magic practitioner.”

“Please take care of this carriage. I also intend to chase, but I can’t leave it standing in the middle of the road like this.”

“Of course. Leave it to us.”

When one guard approached the carriage, I leisurely walked in the direction Berger disappeared.

***

While walking, I could see the road deeply gouged and scratched several times.

Leaving the road and the grassy field revealed and around the time low hills and forest were visible ahead, rocks with debris scattered around as if not long broken, and land sunk deeply as if a giant came and ate were visible.

“Fought hard, it seems.”

Entering the forest, several trees were lying.

Even without needing the Vessel, just chasing the traces it seemed I could follow.

Putting the Vessel in the bosom like that, I drew the sword.

Just in case it might come.

“What, really coming?”

“There...! Let me ask just one thing!”

Far away, someone was approaching from inside where trees were falling with rustles.

The armor of the one who revealed his appearance was scratched here and there, and whether rolled in the forest, grass juice and grass bits were stuck.

However, only the red gloves and gaiters heard earlier were still smooth and not a single speck.

“What!”

Answering by shouting, the guy shouted and asked again.

“If I knock you down, does that guy also stop?”

“No?”

The guy made an expression as if despairing.

Then spitting curses, he shouted like this.

“I won’t believe!”

Zygmunt jumped.

Falling accurately in front of me and slashing down the sword with force.

Swordsmanship is not at all?

I moved one step to the side, then shoved the sword into the place the guy would fall.

Zygmunt’s sword cut the air, and my sword hit his glove.

Since I loaded mana, the guy will drop the sword with this...

A deng—— sound was heard.

It feels like hitting not a glove but paper.

My mana scattered and force wasn’t properly added, and it felt absorbed into that glove as is.

Mana surged like waves on the glove surface, spreading as if shaping the impact just received.

On the middle black armor that undulation didn’t appear, then continued from the gaiters of both legs.

Hmm, the feeling is not good.

Subsequently light arose from Zygmunt’s gaiters.

Soil and pebbles sprang up behind Zygmunt, and the shoulder the guy extended approached in front of my face.

If colliding there, it seems no different from being hit by a siege weapon.

But I also wasn’t staying still after thrusting the sword at the guy.

The moment realizing I couldn’t knock the weapon by hitting the hand, while retrieving the sword I was standing it in front of the eyes and extending the foot clockwise.

Hair shakes from the wind pressure of the guy passing by my side.

Whether hard to control the propulsion obtained through the gaiters, before long the collided tree fell with a creak—.

“Avoided this...?”

“I heard in advance from the guard corps. That it’s suspicious.”

When I pointed at the red gaiters with the sword, Zygmunt sighed deeply and nodded.

“Understood.”

“Good armor.”

If able to receive impacts and move quickly in that way, it is understood that he widened the distance this much with Berger.

“The compliment is thankful but... Can’t you just die quickly?”

Whether bothered by Berger who will soon come looking for himself, Zygmunt glanced to one side.

And charged at me again.

Hoping to knock me down before Berger arrives, and as a result Berger stops moving.

But what’s held in that hand is a sword, and if swinging only to that degree, there is no way it works on me.

Lightly receiving the swinging sword, I pushed the blade all the way to the guy’s guard.

Gently pressing the tip of Ash Black’s blade, I pulled up mana in the left hand.

Brought that hand to the tip of Zygmunt’s sword.

With a tung—— sound, the guy’s sword spun round and stuck beside.

“What did you do how?”

A dull footstep sound was heard.

“Damn it... Uhm...”

That footstep sound gradually approached.

The guy who was restless raised both arms.

“Surrender.”

“Huh?”

“Please spare me.”

Berger who had approached behind Zygmunt before one knew it was pulling the spear to the fullest.

Since piercing as is seemed instant death, I stopped Berger.

“Stop, Berger.”

Stopping as is in that state, Zygmunt who glanced back sighed deeply.

“As expected not a person. A familiar?”

“Similar.”

“Is there even a swordsman who handles familiars? Usually familiars are a mage’s, right.”

“Where is there such a law.”

“Really no conscience. If the familiar is strong the owner should be a bit weak, how do you tell to face without even giving a weakness?”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

The guy nodded.

“Thanks for understanding.”

A funny guy.

“Thanks for attaching the life too. I’ll obediently follow whether prison or wherever, so please remove that spear right before thrusting a bit.”

“That a bit later. Not completely spared yet.”

Zygmunt nodded.

“What should I do.”

“Don’t hold like that and raise the hands behind the head. Aren’t the arms heavy?”

“They were heavy.”

“Sit.”

The guy obediently followed.

I turned my gaze, and leaned and sat on a stump nearby just in time.

And looking at the guy asked.

“So... Why on earth were you going around like that?”

First hear the story, and decide how to do.

“For reference, I’ll only overlook lies up to three times. More than that and you die.”

“Hmm...”

The guy paused for the first time, then eventually opened his mouth.

“Revenge for the older brother...”

“Two left.”

The guy’s expression became bizarre.

“Errand of a high person...”

“One.”

The guy’s pupils shook.

And opening and closing the mouth for a long while, eventually vomiting the secret.

“I was performing a trial.”

Hearing that, I understood.

There are quite a few guys causing accidents trying to obtain a Blessing, and this guy seems exactly that kind.

The reason not famous as a criminal later is also drawn to some extent.

Either died being hit by someone while rampaging without knowing the sky like this, or after succeeding in receiving the Blessing quit thievery, one of the two.

“Is Zygmunt the real name?”

“No. It’s the name of the hero in the trial I’m performing.”

“What’s your name.”

“...Hagenbrock.”

I’ve heard.

Though no chance to face me, the prey he caught with his power and the Blessings he possessed were so famous, and a legendary mercenary who was active in places far from the capital and even took care of a few dangerous demons.

I know he has acquaintance with the mercenary guy I think of as a friend.

After getting entangled in the fixer days, a guy who steadily survived and after forming a mercenary group cooperated closely with the Holy See by my recruitment.

If the one who pulled me in was Holy Knight Theodore, the one who pulled that guy in was me.

So to speak, a friend of a future friend.

This is a bit awkward to kill.

“Let’s do this. Your life price. No thought of roughly paying with the trial book?”

Hagenbrock’s contemplation wasn’t long.

“Thanks for the mercy. I’ll do so. If desired, I won’t perform the trial handed over to you anymore.”

I nodded, and took out one notebook and pen from the bosom and prepared.

“The Blessing sentence?”

Hagenbrock hesitated a bit.

But it didn’t seem because he didn’t want to say it.

“For reference, I want to clarify that I have no intention of lying to you again.”

“Understood. I’ll believe so don’t worry.”

Well, I can guess.

A sentence hard to readily believe.

The guy turned his body, confirmed Berger still standing with the spear pulled to the fullest once, then eventually watching my reaction opened his mouth.

“Demand food from a merchant. If food with poison, knock the merchant down.”

I scribbled according to his words then paused.

The sound of the guy gulping saliva was heard.

But without asking back, I transferred the rest as is.

“Hard to believe? You’re thinking I was causing this commotion believing such words.”

No.

I believe very much.

Just seeing this sentence more bizarre than expected, only the one fraudulent Blessing Hagenbrock had later came to mind.

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