Against the Dark (7)

If Tasserton had the power of the duke, who was on the verge of death, then he would be able to legally punish Kleio, in the case he failed to heal Melchior.

‘I’m only 4th level now. If a 7th level knight attacks me, I won’t be able to stop it.’

They had arrived through several thick doors. If Kleio shouted for help, it would just ring out through empty corridors.

‘Right. In the first place, they wanted me in a place with no people around.’

The only other person in this room couldn’t even open their eyes, so it was the perfect place for clandestine meetings.

“I’m sorry, are you feeling uncomfortable?”

“…It feels like a shard is spinning through my veins.”

Melchior’s answer was blurted out, even his patience unable to stop his suffering. Kleio recalled the message of Promise he had seen earlier.

‘The limit on a person’s unique skill is like that. If you use it more than a certain number of times, the penalty will increase. If you ignore the restrictions, you’ll become like this.’

“…Okay, I will activate the magic. I hope that, in my lifetime, I never learn what the duke’s punishment is.”

Kleio opened a circle wide enough to cover only himself and his subject. Even in pain, the prince continued to stare at Kleio’s dazzling circle. It was the first time he witnessed Kleio’s magic. The prince’s defenseless face seemed shocked. He couldn’t imagine how terrible it was for a person like Melchior to lose control. In fact, he would’ve treated him even had he not been threatened.

‘It would be difficult for a major character like the crown prince to die or go crazy all of a sudden.’

Kleio was hoping the future would proceed according to the manuscript he read as much as possible. Melchior was a man who must leave the stage, but his moment hadn’t come yet.

‘If he goes now, Aslan will become the crown prince. That would be the worst development.’

Four magic formulas overlapped exactly around them, shining golden light. Melchior’s platinum hair looked a fading light in the midst of it, and his face looked a good ten years older. As he properly corrected Zebedee’s mantra, Kleio felt dizziness gripping him. A huge amount of ether was pulling out of him. Despite his increased capacity, it was an amount that was difficult to handle.

‘What is this… it’s almost like when Arthur almost died last summer…damn it.’

The light healed the prince, soothing his body and relieving his agony. The crown prince couldn’t hide his expression of relief as time slowed down to a crawl. Thoughts flowed through the gaps of time. He considered the incident that led him to observe this prince.

‘…Somehow, things have come this far.’

Melchior was the strongest person in the world, fighting a hopeless fight. No emperors, revolutionaries, or politicians were his foe, but the very author that existed out of time. The same being that had shaken Kleio’s own fate. Was it so?

“How many times has this been repeated?”

Kleio remembered the prince talking about the repetition of history. Melchior had a faint smile on his face, young and gentle with no intent of charming others. But it was just for an instant before the façade of a prince covered it.

“I will answer you if you successfully cast a double load.”

Kleio fired the double-load on command, as the faint taste of blood ran down his throat.

‘It’s eating less ether. Is it because of the mana stone? It’s expensive, but I’m glad to save ether.’

Kleio completed the last magic formula on the mana stone above his hand. As he stretched out his arm to transfer it to the crown prince, he raised a hand and pulled Kleio towards him. The onyx turned to ash between their tightly intertwined fingers, and gradually, clarity returned to Melchior’s eyes.

‘He’s not sure how much time has passed. Oh, but why…’

Melchior’s body swayed and collapsed. It was unreasonable to expect Kleio to hold up the tall prince. He could hear Tasserton’s breath catch, but the magic was still going on, so he couldn’t intervene. Kleio fell to the floor alongside him as the magical formulas played their part. In the aftermath, Kleio was unable to stand up, but now wasn’t a time when politeness was necessary. Tasserton, moving quickly, paid no mind to Kleio as he supported Melchior and sat him down by the bed.

[7 level swordsman

Title: Knight of the Lake]

‘Well, you can’t even say thank you…!’

Was this the feeling of the medical staff caught in the emergency room?

Vwoom!

Tasserton suddenly released his sword with [Attack Circle]. Kleio couldn’t even turn on his defensive magic as he gasped for air. The blade fired off from the 7th level swordsman came at an unavoidable speed, passing by Kleio’s ear and hitting something behind his back.

Kiiiiiii!

A familiar sound and smell came a second later, and Kleio looked back reflexively. A black beast was flapping his wings away after being hit by the sword. It didn’t go far, however, and began to circle around the duke’s bedroom.

[Pyton

—Category: Demon

—Level: 6]

The alarm sounded a moment later as trumpets rang out all over the duchy. The shouting of soldiers and the movement of armor could be detected by Perception. Even though it was a raid during the banquet, Rotan and the soldiers were quick to respond.

“A swarm of beasts is trying to break through the gates!”

“An aerial attack! It’s the beast Pyton!”

“Lysa, head to the gates! Trude, Zoe is allowed to use the silver mana stone arrow. All knights muster in your preassigned areas!”

“Okay!”

“You’re responsible for the civilians!”

“Make more fire! The shadow beasts are afraid of fire!”

“Light a fire!”

Kleio forced his shaking knees up as he ran toward the window that was blown open by Tasserton’s attack. A bitter winter breeze winded it, ruffling his hair. He was able to overlook the castle and mountain range from the bedroom. He thought the mountain was moving at first, but in truth, it was a mass of monsters moving across the range. In Kleio’s eyes, it seemed like the whole mountain lit up at once as the message of Promise overloaded his vision.

‘There are too many demons…!’

Small beasts with long, thin legs covered the cliffs and began to climb up the walls.

[Shadow Tripod Spider

-Category: Demon

-Level: 2]

Their level was lower, but there were too many of them. The normal soldiers were pouring out oil and setting fires to chase the demons off, but ether was an absolute necessity to extinguish them completely.

‘Fuck, okay. There’s no way this author can finish this case without making a more difficult development!’

He still had two uses of Authority left, but he couldn’t get a sense of where or how to edit these demons away. In addition, Arthur was a time bomb where the Editor’s Authority was concerned, and Melchior was an even bigger problem.

Kiiiii!

Pyton, circling back around, headed straight for the tower again. The black snake with its wings spread blocked out what remained of the moonlight. Tasserton ran to the window, pushing Kleio aside. Kleio hit the carpeted floor but made sure his Perception was focused on Tasserton. With his posture lowered, the man activated [Attack Circle] once more.

Vwooom.

His sword cried out as light closer to silver than gold crossed the night sky. Blood splattered from Pyton’s body, unable to avoid the instantaneous attack.

Kiiiii!

Pyton was trying to break into the duke’s bedroom as if possessed. As Kleio watched the formidable confrontation, he noticed something odd.

‘What is that in Pyton’s back…?’

The dark scales of the demon made it hard to see. Some shadow was wrapped around the nape of Pyton’s neck as it kept pushing bloodily in front of the sword. Tasserton’s pure and strict swordsmanship seemed like it would claim the demon’s life soon. While he tirelessly continued his offensive, Pyton’s talons scratched at the bedroom wall. At that moment, Tasserton’s sword shot like a bolt of lightning through the demon’s open mouth. The beast scratched at his arms and shoulders, but the knight wouldn’t back down.

Kiiii!

The beast splattered blood in all directions, causing the duke’s bedroom to shake.

Kreaaak!

The posts of the bed broke. Kleio reflexively reached out, but his defensive magic wasn’t fast enough. Tasserton’s sword tore through the beast’s throat and spilled out its intestines. As the blade broke through the demon’s heart, it began to turn to ash. The black shadow entangled with it crawled on the floor. It seemed like a multi-legged bug before it disappeared. Kleio, who wanted to pursue it, had no option but to look outside the shattered wall at the castle that shook the world. Two black snakes, even bigger than that one, were seen in the distant sky.

Kuooooo!

Kiiiii!

As the raging beasts passed, the watchtower that rang the warning bell burst apart, and the two turrets above the fortress collapsed. Shadow spiders outside the wall capitalized on that to start coming over the walls. Tasserton, who snatched the onyx from the dying beast, took care of Melchior’s comfort even in the midst of that.

“Are you alright?”

The crown prince remained quiet, unable to stand up on his own. Even in the aftermath of that pain and fatigue, he was the crown prince Kleio knew well. He finally spoke in a voice that held no regrets.

“I’m fine, but it seems that your father’s life is short.”

The body was entangled with the veil that had been broken down, only his head and hands exposed. Tasserton moved across the bedroom and pulled his father’s body out of the broken pieces of wood. As soon as the duke’s head was laid upon his son’s knee, his eyelids twitched and stopped halfway.

It was then the shadows in the corners of the room began to sway. Tasserton cut through the darkness, but some that remained was sucked into the duke’s skinny body. Promise was quick to issue a warning.

[Grendel

-Category: Demon

-level: –

*According to the level of the body used as the host]

The body escaped from Tasserton’s arms and leaped at an angle that no one could move, clasping onto the painting that adorned one of the walls. Kleio’s face was as pale as that of the dead man.

‘It depends on the level of the host…!’

Duke Theo Tristein was one of only four swordmasters in the kingdom.