Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Gift Never Given

‘Hoo······.’

Gilbert exhaled an excited breath and adjusted the sword.

Blue aura wavered as if shaking in the wind.

All around was dark. Pitch black. Breath was not easily drawn.

‘Magic Realm—.’

A Magic Realm occurring in the North.

‘These damn things······.’

Gilbert ground his teeth with a grind. Because he used too much aura the mind was hazy. He shook his head and firmly held the sword.

“Are you okay there?”

Turning his head there was 7th Battalion Captain, elderly man Belogrim.

“Yes, I am fine.”

“Fine—, your eyes are out.”

At Belogrim’s point Gilbert hit his own face with a fist.

Puck! With a refreshing sound the field of vision returned. Belogrim’s astonished face was clearly seen. Fixed.

“Resolved.”

“····You will become a good knight.”

“I am already a knight though.”

At Gilbert’s answer Belogrim laughed.

“There is one thing I am curious about.”

“Yes.”

Gilbert nodded while regulating his breath. Belogrim turned the staff with a bing—.

Belogrim’s aura was thin. Blurry like fog so at a glance it looked weak, but that was matured softness.

A magic beast that appeared from behind was drawn as if entangled in the staff. At that the magic beast’s posture changed and the opening was fully revealed.

Belogrim’s staff smashed the magic beast’s jaw that was wide open.

Such skill—. Gilbert purely admired.

“Knight something. Why do you do that?”

Belogrim asked while shaking the staff. Belogrim’s state was not good, but that was because of confinement. There was no injury from battle.

“Knight Gilbert! You say?”

“Yes, that.”

“Father told me. There is power in words.”

“Power?”

“Yes, from young because I wanted to become a knight I continuously shouted ‘Knight— Gilbert!’ and it became a habit.”

“I see.”

“Explosive Fireball—!!”

Then, Gwen’s voice was heard. The space that was dark with dense ash momentarily brightened.

Beyond that Gwen with blood vessels standing was seen. A fireball flew from that hand.

Kwaaang!

A larger sound than before burst. Gwen’s face was covered with desperate tears and sweat.

Damien was in that direction. Damien was rolling between magic beasts with one arm bent outward and dangling. The expression was smiling.

Gilbert spat saliva with a ptoo— on the palm and firmly held the sword.

“Knight—!”

When he shouted with strength aura rose again. The body heavy as if wet with water moved again.

A knight was glory, and a heavy responsibility.

“Gilbert!”

Aura rose even larger. Gilbert’s muscles made a creak— sound and screamed.

He kicked the ground as is. Gilbert’s figure slid.

A blue line was drawn on the magic beast aiming at Damien.

The magic beast’s back split and hot blood splashed. Gilbert did not close his eyes and turned his waist. The sword drew a line again.

The magic beast screamed long. Damien who was below that stabbed the sword in. A large scream burst.

Another magic beast stabbed the sword at Damien. Gilbert tightly bit his teeth and grabbed Damien’s collar and pulled.

Creak—, as if muscles dislocated it screamed.

The magic beast’s sword drew long on Gilbert’s shoulder. Gilbert’s hand loosened. Gilbert buried his head as is.

Thud!

The magic beast shook. Damien’s sword dug the magic beast’s neck, but because there was no aura that scar was weak.

Damien’s emotionless pupils stared at Gilbert.

‘Unlucky kid—.’

Gilbert muttered a low curse and stepped one foot forward. The magic beast’s attack directly hit Gilbert’s chest.

Gilbert gritted his teeth and endured, and stabbed the sword into the magic beast’s head.

Blood fully sprayed.

Only then the held breath burst. The pain that had been pushed by the agitated mind rose at once.

While forcibly regulating the breath, Damien stared blankly.

“How do you do that?”

“That?”

Damien’s finger was pointing at Gilbert’s aura.

“Aura?”

“Yes. That looks good.”

Aura was the ideal of all those who held a sword, and the symbol of a knight.

Such aura only looking good. It was absurd.

“Tsk, aura is—.”

Gilbert who tried to explain stopped the words. When trying to say with words it was hard to explain.

Yet he did not want to say cliché words like ‘Aura is belief—.’

“Aura is belief.”

“Belief?”

Belogrim who came beside at some point nodded.

Damien who heard the explanation squinted his eyes. It was the feeling of not understanding.

Gilbert clicked his tongue. Such vague explanation was not that helpful to the guy.

“So aura is—”

When he opened his mouth gazes naturally concentrated on Gilbert.

Gilbert raised the corners of his mouth and explained.

“It is the feeling of shitting unwanting poop with the hand. Shitting poop with the hand.”

Gilbert kindly even informed the hand shape. Gwen was startled. Damien followed Gilbert and closed and opened his hand.

“Of course it is not something one can follow right away even if informed.”

Aura was not something all swordsmen could reach.

Gilbert said while adjusting the sword.

Then, Damien’s sword momentarily wavered.

‘Uh···· surely?!’

Gilbert hurriedly put strength in the eyes. There was nothing on Damien’s sword.

‘As expected there is no way.’

It seemed he saw wrong.

“Ah, right. Where did the youngest go? This stupid bastard didn’t go and die somewhere?”

Gilbert looked for Noad. He disappeared somewhere earlier and was not seen.

“He went together with the captain!”

“This! The youngest is dangerous—.”

Gilbert clicked his tongue and adjusted the sword.

“Where are you planning to go.”

At Belogrim’s question Gilbert pointed at the front.

Lightning flashed beyond the dense smoke. Then a huge shadow was seen between the smoke.

···············!!

It was a huge size that would only come out in legends.

This place is not the Magic Realm but the North—.

“If late the captain will scold.”

“You mean fighting that now?”

“Yes.”

Gilbert fixed the loose right shoulder by hitting it with a fist.

He could still move, and there was a sword in the hand.

For knight Gilbert that was sufficient.

“Youth is good.”

Belogrim clicked his tongue and stood beside.

Then, one huge tentacle fell toward Gilbert.

How huge that size was the fingertips naturally ached.

It was a tentacle that smashed the castle just by grazing.

In contrast what was held in Gilbert’s hand was one sword.

‘Sufficient.’

He did not have weak thoughts.

From the beginning Gilbert did not have that many thoughts.

Gilbert just knight-like.

“Knight—! Gilbert!”

He adjusted the sword.

Aura blazed vigorously.

‘Cut!’

When he swung the sword toward the huge tentacle—.

“Step aside.”

A low order was heard right from behind.

A voice like a beast hidden deep in a cave—.

Gilbert unconsciously stepped aside.

A huge build like a magic beast—. The North cold to the extent flesh freezes, yet an upper body with clothes removed, thick scars were lined on the wriggling muscles as if alive.

What was held in the hand was just a rough and large axe.

‘······His Grace the Grand Duke?’

Gilbert bowed his head.

The Grand Duke turned the large axe with a bing.

There was no aura.

No, the expression that it was not needed was more suitable.

That ignorantly huge axe was the execution stand of magic beasts.

The Grand Duke raised the axe high.

Those scar-full muscles wriggled and made a bizarre sound.

That was joy.

At the falling huge tentacle—.

The Grand Duke was rejoicing with his whole body.

The Grand Duke swung the axe long.

Kwachik.

It was a simple action, but the result was not simple.

Kuuung!

The tentacle cut in half lost power and collapsed.

With a heavy sound the ground shook roughly.

The Grand Duke lightly swung the axe a few more times.

The tentacle was cut into appropriate size.

‘······Appropriate size?’

The Grand Duke picked that up and brought it to his mouth as is.

Creak—.

With a bloody sound the Grand Duke’s purpose largely undulated.

“Not bad.”

At the Grand Duke who said so and laughed somehow Galahad was seen.

“I greet the ruler of the North.”

Belogrim paid extreme courtesy.

Gilbert quietly stared at the Grand Duke and belatedly bowed his head.

****

‘The First Mage—.’

Galahad stared at the magic circle engraved on his own forearm.

Because hastily engraved the blood had not stopped yet.

The magic circle the First Mage left was certainly different in track from other magic circles.

The overlapping method of the magic circle was quite rough yet unique.

It was different from the method used nowadays.

Among them the most unique was—.

‘Compressing mana with the heart.’

Originally mana settled around the heart. The reason the pill of pain was located beside the heart was the same.

However, one did not use the heart to move mana.

From the beginning mana was formless.

The heart could not be involved there.

Yet this magic circle the guys call choice made that possible.

This is exactly—.

‘Isn’t it like the pill of pain.’

Galahad felt dense interest.

It was a method similar to the pill of pain.

This magic circle was a method of using the heart like the pill of pain.

The difference was the pill of pain extracts on its own from the blood of the demon race and only gives mana, this magic circle—.

‘Uses the caster’s blood.’

It was a method similar to the pill of pain. It seemed imitating the ability of the high-rank demon race that was the origin of the pill of pain.

It was just imitation.

‘Compresses mana with the life force contained in the caster’s blood.’

If there is a virtual engine called mana, this magic circle was putting life force as oil.

So that mana is compressed faster—.

‘Ah, it was life force.’

Galahad realized that what the pill of pain had been hoarding from the blood of the demon race was life force.

Brr—, the pill of pain trembled softly. Correct.

Using life force for magic—. It was somewhat unfamiliar to Galahad.

Anyway because it was magic of the old generation.

“You mean you engraved the magic circle in the meantime?”

A voice full of astonishment broke Galahad’s thoughts.

Raising his head at that, the guy called cadre was looking at Galahad with a face full of astonishment.

Galahad could not understand the guy’s question.

“Why would it take long to engrave a magic circle?”

It was just looking and following and drawing. Somewhat stinging, but the pain was a moment.

And this time because the magic circle was too interesting the pain was not even felt.

“Do not lie! This magic circle is a magic circle composed of eight layers! There is no way one can imitate just by looking briefly! How far did the traitor guy inform!”

The cadre shouted even spraying saliva from the mouth. At that Galahad clicked his tongue softly.

“Ah, to speak accurately it is not following, because it is an old magic circle there were some unnecessary parts. There are also places that feel repulsive. At that I revised in my own way.”

Galahad kindly showed his own wrist.

There was a magic circle similar to the guy’s, but looking in detail there were more different parts.

Certainly an attractive magic circle, but it was an old era’s. Because there was the pill of pain there was no need to use the heart, so it was a magic circle changed to Galahad’s taste.

“······Revised? Shut up!”

The guy shouted more as if having a seizure. Not communicating. Galahad clicked his tongue and turned his gaze.

The dense ash scattered around was clearly the Magic Realm. To think of reproducing the Magic Realm not even the demon race’s territory. Quite interesting.

“I will ask only one. How did you unfold the Magic Realm?”

“It is not the Magic Realm but the Sanctuary.”

“Yes, the Sanctuary.”

At Galahad’s question the cadre smiled. Whether forcibly raised the corners of the mouth trembled.

“Do you think I will inform?”

The cadre raised the staff high. The magic circle engraved on the cadre’s wrist emitted a brilliant light. That light connected to the staff.

The staff with mana stones embedded supplies mana, and the magic circle engraved on the wrist compresses using the caster’s blood—.

What the caster guy does is only determining the magic’s target and providing blood.

At a glance it looked convenient, but can one call that a mage.

‘Even Sir Gilbert would be able to do that.’

Galahad felt extreme aversion.

“Pour!!”

The guys holding staffs were scattering things that did not even look like magic while looking this side.

‘Hmm—’

The pill of pain jumped roughly. The guy was jumping as if he would jump out right away. Joy overflowed with every that running.

Then, the magic circle engraved on Galahad’s wrist emitted light as if burning.

Galahad did not draw the magic circle the First Mage left the same. Galahad had the pill of pain to replace the heart.

He planned to use the life force the pill of pain hoarded from the blood of the demon race instead of the caster’s blood.

‘Compressing the mana the pill of pain compressed once more with life force.’

Probably the First Mage would not have even thought of this kind of method of concentration.

The pill of pain vibrated as if resonating with the magic circle. The pill of pain shook vigorously. It seemed as if scolding. Do you have to take even this.

‘If one catches that tastier things will come out.’

Galahad whispered the huge presence behind the guys.

‘One has to see bigger things.’

Only then the pill of pain nodded. The guy slightly bit the heart as if threatening. As if not leaving if a lie.

‘I do not speak lies.’

The pill of pain throbbed as if resonating. The color of the magic circle became brighter. Mana shook quickly.

Ash color fireballs fell.

“Terrible.”

Galahad felt dense annoyance and flicked his finger.

****

‘Stupid guy—.’

Devilian teased while looking at the guy covered by the fireball.

There was the evidence of choice on the guy’s forearm, but anyway the guy was alone.

Then, a small wind attached.

‘······What is that—.’

The pouring fireballs lost power in an instant.

They lost form and fell and only wavered like flames.

There was only one reason mana loses power and scatters.

When the opponent’s mana concentration is denser.

‘······The mana is denser than me?’

Devilian was in a state of holding a staff with upper-rank mana stones embedded and even the evidence of choice the First Mage left. Along with that he even opened the Sanctuary.

Can the guy’s mana concentration be denser than such Devilian—?

It was an assumption that did not make sense.

Then.

Something flew between the flames. The identity of that was not even seen. A small sound was all.

Thud. Something collapsing sound—.

One mage collapsed backward. A hole was pierced in the center of the neck.

Again thud—.

Another one collapsed again. A hole pierced in the neck—. Exactly the same position.

Red blood undulated as if warning—.

“Cast a barrier!”

Devilian hurriedly chanted a defense formula.

A translucent barrier floated in front of the mages in an instant. Other mages gathered and covered the barrier in several layers. Words were not needed in the fear of death.

Then—.

One mage collapsed again.

The barrier covered in several layers was lightly pierced.

Exactly like a sheet of paper—.

Thud—.

Also the guy collapsed. There was not even a scream. Just the sound of swallowing breath was all.

What on earth is this—.

Devilian could not follow the situation at all.

Then, the flames split and the guy walked out.

Still a leisurely face and neatly brushed hair—.

That appearance was the same as when entering the banquet hall.

The guy flicked his finger.

Thud—.

The last remaining mage collapsed backward.

Devilian’s legs loosened and he sat as is.

Hot blood fully wet Devilian.

The guy approached with steps neither urgent nor leisurely.

Soon the guy who arrived right in front looked down at Devilian.

Devilian who met eyes with the guy spat a scream full of fear.

“Ho········ perhaps are you a demon race?”

“Hmm, sorry but, I am human.”

The guy’s voice was calm.

Clean unlike matching the sticky blood smell.

“Ah, thank you for the gift.”

Gift—.

The guy pointed at his own forearm.

Above the forearm the evidence of choice was emitting clear light.

Brighter than what Devilian engraved—.

“I have never given······.”

Devilian’s voice could not finish.

****

“Thank you, I will use it well.”

Galahad expressed gratitude again and turned his head.

The huge tentacle was moving and diligently destroying the castle.

Below that white light existed precariously but nobly.

Adrianne was facing that huge monster alone.

It was a sufficiently wondrous matter but.

‘Insufficient.’

Galahad squinted his eyes.

It was Adrianne who had to face the demon race’s king later.

Struggling against a guy forcibly raised from upper-rank to highest-rank was somewhat insufficient.

‘Growth will be needed.’

There was no environment better for growth than actual combat.

Then—

···············!!

The magic beast howled as if in pain.

To think that huge magic beast feels pain.

The tentacle writhing in pain moved roughly and pushed the ash.

The field of vision opened momentarily.

Far away—.

There was a barbarian tearing and eating the tentacle like an octopus. A huge tentacle sticking out from the mouth area full of beard wriggled as if begging to be saved.

The Grand Duke fully dyed in red blood pointed at Galahad with a finger.

Creak—.

It felt as if a bloody sound was heard all the way here.

‘Hmm, this will be dangerous.’

Soon ash covered the surroundings again.

Galahad touched the cool neck for nothing.

“Wife!”

Galahad hurriedly headed to Adrianne.

Originally there was no parent who loses to a child.

The Grand Duke was also a parent.