Knights and Nobles (3)

His ether consumption had been lessened thanks to the mana stones, so he hadn’t passed out quite yet.

‘I can’t let myself slip today.’

Now both of the Grendel’s were going after Arthur, but one was being devoured by a magic fire while the other had his back split open. Beg’s sword didn’t seem only to burn the beast’s mercury mana stone, but it seemed to draw it closer as well.

‘It’s the power of that mantra…’

Kleio felt his vision blur as he lost consciousness for a brief second, but he snapped back a second later. Unfortunately, the sword’s flame was beginning to fade as he dealt with the last Grendel. Kleio’s magic wasn’t the only thing running out, however, as Arthur’s own ether was low. Grendel finally grabbed onto Arthur’s sword with both its hands, and Arthur quickly realized it could only attack directly. It could not use [Attack Circle] or summon more alter egos, but its body was still [Strengthened]. Instead of pulling the sword away, Arthur used his body weight to shove into Grendel with his shoulder.

Kuaaaaa!

Their ether collided with a terrible roar. As Kleio’s vision flickered, Arthur and the demon were confronting each other at the edge of the room where the wall had been torn down. The wind shook violently around them. Kleio was unable to overcome his dizziness from blood loss, only able to hold onto his circle through sheer force of will. When that faint flame faded, it would all be over. Grendel and Arthur, entangled, began to fall through the air as the demon’s mercury shed through its bones and flesh. All the stars in the sky seemed to disappear, and the ground itself seemed to vanish as Kleio felt like the world was crumbling before him.

“No…!”

His head turned white and empty. This world shouldn’t be dismantled here. He didn’t even care about the author’s will at this point; Kleio didn’t want that to him. Even Separation couldn’t stop that despair from infringing on his mind. At that moment, he was neither an editor nor an advisor. Just…

Just…

[―User’s narrative involvement has increased.

Cumulative rate: 36%]

Promise shone a light onto his face, wet with blood and tears.

[―By meeting certain conditions, the unique skill Diegesis is activated.

―The expression form and number of times Diegesis can be used are not fixed.

―The gist of Diegesis is described in the manuscript. The activation of the Diegesis may violate the inner consistency of the work.

*Warning: If the manuscript’s internal consistency is seriously impaired… The narrative structure will be dismantled… danger…]

As often when the members of the Riognan royal family were concerned, Promise didn’t spit out a full message, instead of giving him scattered letters that had lost most of their meaning. But even without reading it, the warning was clear; it was the same as Editor’s Authority. Kleio’s attempts to directly touch the content would degrade the manuscript.

[―Would the user allow the activation of Diegesis?]

Kleio had no choice but to nod his head. Regret was only possible if the world remained intact, after all.

[Unique skill: Diegesis

―Expression form: Resonance

―The hero gains power in the caster’s etheric realm.]

The message delivered to Kleio was a little different from usual, as it was not seen by his eyes, but heard by his ears.

『When you share a sincere will with a being deeply involved in the security of the world, the honorable favor of God comes to the earth.』

Kleio wasn’t sure what he had heard until golden ether rose from the darkness, looking like the rising of the sun. They were the bright golden letters of Promise moving around Arthur.

[6th level swordsman

Title: ―]

The castle rumbled and vibrated.

Kaaaahhhh!

Arthur floated in the air, unaffected by gravity. It seemed like he had started to fly, though he had only embedded his sword in the outer wall to stop himself mid-fall.

“Strange. My body feels incredibly light.”

Arthur cried out as an unfamiliar vitality filled his body.

“It feels like I can do anything now, understand anything.”

Strange enlightenment passed on to Arthur, likely an aftereffect of the skill. But the method didn’t matter, so long as Arthur had survived.

“Arthur…”

Kleio’s hair poured down around his face as he looked down, blood still pouring from his nose.

“Lei, did you do this? This is my first time using magic like this. Really, totally.”

Even injured and cold, the boy laughed with a bright and clear smile that beckoned the daylight. It was the life Kleio had saved and the one that needed to live.

“That… good…”

“Don’t worry, just wait a minute.”

One thing was clear, however.

‘…This isn’t magic.’

An unusual feeling of collapse and weakness bore down on Kleio heavily. A light that was several times brighter than the flame surrounded the prince now. Grendel was no longer a threat, even as he skittered up the outer wall below Arthur. Using the faint remains of Kleio’s magic, Arthur cast his first [Attack Circle], causing flames to pour down upon Grendel with force far above level 6. The beast roared in pain as the fire caused by the Resonance scorched it.

Only a few pieces of crispy bone were left as the ether vanished. Kleio finally let go of his magic, feeling like his consciousness might fade out at any moment. The darkness returned as the light of ether ceased. His heart was pounding fast and hard, and he felt like he could barely breathe. All he could hear was a ringing in both of his ears as blood trickled back down his throat, but he didn’t pass out regardless. He felt the presence of someone beside him, pulling his head up. He had a hard time forcing his eyes open, but he eventually saw Tasserton lifting him up. With his left arm bent in an unnatural direction and his thigh still bleeding, Tasserton dragged Kleio to Melchior’s side.

“What…?”

“Cure him. The previous magic again.”

He couldn’t even speak properly due to the cuts on his neck from Grendel, and his mental state was clearly off. Tasserton’s injuries were more serious than Melchior, who seemed physically unharmed.

“I have no ether left. And…”

Shaaaa.

“Heal.”

Kleio could only blink slowly as he felt the chill of the mangled blade touch his carotid artery. Now, whether this man killed him or not, he just wanted to lie down. He felt terribly tired.

“What are you doing, Sir Tasserton?!”

Arthur approached them a beat later, but it was too late to stop Tasserton, who had already put a blade to Kleio’s neck. Kleio’s face was a mess of frozen tears and blood. Arthur regretted being drunk on his new strength and not coming to his friend sooner, but he still showed superhuman patience as he spoke slowly and politely to Tasserton.

“Hold your weapons. My brother doesn’t seem to have any major injuries, so after he wakes up…”

“He’s not asleep.”

Melchior’s fingers twitched in response to their voices. They seemed to be weakly grasping at something as they were fixed in a strangely twisted state. Kleio barely managed to squeeze at a question as he could feel Tasserton’s sword a bit too clearly.

“What do you mean?”

“He’s suffering. He can’t wake up as he is… Those nightmares and agony are something we dare not imagine.”

“If it’s such a serious matter, why don’t we leave it to Mr. Meyer, who’s not a student like me?”

“He can’t; his ether is too weak.”

He was putting together the pieces of information about Melchior. His unique skills had additional functions that could hold back even a level 8 beast, but at the same time, they had terrifying aftereffects. Violating the limit would have some serious consequences on him. Apparently, they were a nightmare of the like that would cause the prince to descend into madness and cause this knight to lose his mind with worry.

‘…Well, he’s already been crazy; it’s not like he’s going crazy.’

Meyer was only level 3, but it was clear he was a skilled magician with expertise in medical care since he watched over the duke. If the magic of such a person didn’t work on Melchior, he must’ve needed a fairly high-level wizard.

‘Quantity won’t work — only quality.’

Kleio’s magic had barely been able to help after spending a rare and expensive mana stone.

‘No, maybe the key is using a double load.’

If there was no need for that, any wizard couldn’t be charmed and used. However, the higher the ether level, the higher their resistance to Melchior’s skills, so it was understandable now that supplying that workforce wasn’t easy. As his exhaustion peaked, his body and mind seemed to separate, and a strange calm came over him. It was a clerical calm he had felt before during a 96-hour workweek.

“I guess I can’t see it with my magic alone. Please hand me an onyx.”

“Lei, you don’t have to. I’ll bring in someone.”

“It’s okay if it’s not using my ether, but a mana stone… It will work somehow.”

Kleio didn’t look okay at all. Even with his ether almost worn out and his whole body covered with scars, Arthur was still accumulating force inside of him. Even with the difference in level, his odds weren’t terrible facing Tasserton, who was tattered himself.

But… Kleio’s neck would be torn through with just a slight twitch of Tasserton’s sword. Arthur had to summon all the patience he had to endure this moment. It was the most miserable use of his patience in his entire life thus far.