Chapter 29

Ian Leinrant (3)

"What are these things supposed to be?"

Black robes. Pitch-black eyes with no distinction between sclera and pupils.
And the sun-cross engraved into the tops of their shaved heads.

'So the Inquisitors finally came. Their information network is faster than I expected.'

No, considering I had crossed paths with Garrison, it might actually be more accurate to say they were late.

'It's already been nearly eight years since I escaped the Order's grasp, yet I still can't forget those disgusting appearances.'

Even while thinking that, the smile never left my face.

"Looks like religious solicitation. Should I tell them we're not interested?"
"Judging by appearances, they don't seem the type to leave quietly."

Ian snickered as he played along with my joke.

Perhaps they had no interest in insults directed at them, because the Inquisitors surrounding us simultaneously raised their weapons.

"Hammers and stakes imbued with divine power. Looks like they came fully prepared."

Sneering at them, Ian gripped his sword properly.

"Who is the one beside him?"
"Ian Leinrant."
"A fugitive knight wanted by the Empire."

The Inquisitors exchanged signals among themselves after seeing Ian.

"That was twenty years ago. Don't you think it's about time you forgot about it?"

Ian bared his teeth as he spoke.

'At least it's fortunate this lunatic happens to be with me.'

That was what I thought as I looked at Ian radiating killing intent.

He was a criminal guilty of murdering Imperial knights.
Not just that—he was a monster who had slaughtered hundreds of commander-class knights, people comparable to Dunkel, all at once.

Originally, he shouldn't even have been showing his face publicly, but now the Order had confirmed his identity.

"The risk factor has increased."
"What's the plan?"
"No changes. Kill the seed of Archimond."

Ian's razor-sharp bloodlust swept over them, yet the Inquisitors showed no reaction whatsoever.

Combat machines that flawlessly executed any order without the slightest emotion.
Even if their limbs were torn off or their bodies shredded under torture, they would never stop their mission.

'People who had parts of their brains cut away to castrate their emotions. They're no different from zombies made from living humans.'

While thinking that, I surveyed the surroundings.

'Judging from the sounds, these aren't the only Inquisitors who infiltrated the mansion. Someone's keeping Heinkel occupied too.'

Faster and bolder than expected.
The Order had truly resolved itself to launch a surprise attack on Leinrant.

"Klein."

At Ian's voice calling me, I nodded as if I understood.

'Right. Ian will handle these bastards, while I deal with the others outside—'

I was nodding, already predicting his next words.

"I'm feeling lazy, so you handle them."

...What the fuck did this bastard just say?

Startled by his completely unexpected statement, I quickly turned toward him.

"What did you just... say?"
"What, are your ears already failing at your age? I said I'm too lazy, so handle it yourself."

With that, Ian tossed away the sword he had been holding.

"Uncle, this isn't the time to joke aro—!"
"They're coming."

The instant his words cut through my confusion, I immediately slashed toward my flank.

Kagagagak—!

An Inquisitor had already charged toward me.
The war hammer capable of crushing armor whole gleamed viciously.

"Your reactions have improved. One more behind you."
"Kh!"

Kwoooom—!

I raised my sword behind my back and blocked the Inquisitor's heavy strike.

Immediately afterward, I suppressed the opening in the sword path to cut off the follow-up attack, then widened the distance.

"Mm. Your battlefield judgment is flawless."

Even in a situation where the Order had attacked the family estate, Ian's only interest was my combat performance.

'That bastard Ian seriously has no intention of stepping in.'

Once their focus settled entirely on me, Ian casually moved toward the corner of the training grounds.

Their primary target was me, not him.
Ian sat down as though watching from spectator seats, grinning in amusement.

"You damned old man, we're talking after this is over."
"First, try surviving. I do have my reasons for this."

I studied Ian's face as he said that.

— Looks like he figured it out.

As though sensing my thoughts, Rudel's voice echoed inside my head.

Ian had probably already grasped most of my swordsmanship through our sparring sessions.

"Well, it's something I'd have to settle eventually anyway."

After saying that like a vow, I released demonic energy and chanted the summoning gate.

[Answer my call. Your guide requests your presence.]

The summoning circle formed by black smoke pouring into the ground.

Soon after, pitch-black bones began rising one after another from within it.

Kiiiiii...!

Emotionless machines had to be fought with emotionless machines.

The thirty Skeletons I had newly summoned surrounded the Inquisitors instead.

Shrrrk—!

The weapons I manifested for them were spears and bows.

It was a decision made after confirming the short reach of the Inquisitors' weapons.

"Undead confirmed."
"The seed of Archimond has sprouted."
"Eliminate it before it blooms. Purge the enemies of the Order."

The Inquisitors mechanically recited their orders as they raised their weapons toward the sky.

Fwaaaash—!

A brilliant light gathered around the war hammers they held.

Divine Power.

The strength bestowed by the Chief God Kersias.
To a necromancer like me who handled the souls of the dead, it was practically a natural enemy.

'There are eight of them. Individually, they're no stronger than ordinary knights, but...'

Against undead, the efficiency of divine power was more than double that of ordinary mana.

From the perspective of a necromancer like me, it was no different from fighting sixteen knights.

"Spearmen advance. Archers, fire."

The instant the ten Skeleton archers released their arrows, the spear-wielding undead charged forward.

Kraaaah—!

Inquisitors specialized in killing undead versus the lowest-class undead.

The outcome was obvious.

Kwoooom—!
Baaang—!

Explosions and tearing winds.

In the blink of an eye, the Inquisitors smashed apart twenty Skeletons and charged straight toward me.

"Mere piles of bones...!"
"But they bought me a fleeting moment, didn't they?"

Yet during that brief instant while they destroyed the Skeletons—

The hand I had pressed against the ground was already drawing a contract seal into the earth.

"Hector!"

The Death Knight who answered my command knocked away the incoming Inquisitor's hammer.

Kaaang—!

According to the contract, I could manifest Rudel into the mortal world only one more time.

If I recklessly used him before Heinkel arrived, the worst possible situation would unfold.

'Which means I need to hold out with just this bastard for as long as possible.'

The moment I finished that thought, I immediately dove toward one of the Inquisitors.

Kiririk?!

In an instant, I closed the distance using the Leinrant family's footwork and moved behind him.

Before the Inquisitor could react, I unleashed the Meteor Sword one beat faster.

Slaaash—!

The diagonal strike severed the Inquisitor's spine.

Thud!

Leaving behind the Inquisitor whose lower body could no longer move, I immediately used Hector to block the attack coming from behind me.

Kwoooom—!

Hector's body was blown far away.

Two Inquisitors had swung their hammers at the same time.

Slash!

I drove in with the Shadow Reflection Strike and tore out his throat before instantly widening the distance again.

"Kill him, kill him, kil—"

Still repeating the same words while staggering around, the Inquisitor was struck in the back by arrows from the remaining Skeletons.

Thud-thud-thud!

"That makes two...!"

Those things that had thrown away will and emotion were not human.

Catching my ragged breath, I repaired the Skeletons and sent them charging once more.

'Eight against twenty lasted thirty seconds. Six against twenty should buy another five.'

The greater the numerical advantage, the higher the chance of victory.

Recalling the basic principles of group tactics, I forced down my rough breathing.

"Seriously, if only your stamina were even half of your brother's."

Listening to Ian mock my notoriously terrible endurance, I adjusted my stance.

Meanwhile, the Inquisitors began adapting to my Skeletons one by one.

"The undead regenerate."
"Gather divine power. Crush them together with their souls."

Without even a hint of surprise, the Inquisitors raised their hammers.

Kwoooom—!

The war hammers blasted apart the Skeletons in chunks.

And on top of that, they drove stakes infused with divine power into the regenerating remains.

Sssssss—!

With the sound of something boiling, the Skeleton remains began convulsing.

Boom—!

Hector, having regenerated, blocked the two charging Inquisitors.

Crack! Craaack!

The armor reacted violently against the divine power, fractures gradually spreading across it.

'Tch. Just what you'd expect from Order bastards. Their response is good.'

I clicked my tongue while looking at the staggering Skeletons.

Once those stakes were embedded, regeneration became impossible.

After raising my hand to order the surrounding Skeleton archers to fire, I approached one Inquisitor who had become isolated.

"You think I'll fall for the same trick twice?"

An emotionless voice mocked me.

The techniques I had just used—the Meteor Sword and Shadow Reflection Sword.
The Inquisitor had already analyzed those sword paths and immediately assumed a defensive stance.

"Sorry, but this isn't the same trick."

I had just finished sparring with Ian moments ago.

Facing the Inquisitor holding his sword in reverse grip and bracing for defense, I unleashed a new technique.

Shraaaak—!

A sword art that twisted the sword path into a curve to tear apart blood vessels—

Red Spider Lily.

"...!"

Just like its name, the Inquisitor's arm was shredded into countless pieces, splitting apart like flower petals.

"What, so you still feel pain after all?"

Sneering at the slowed Inquisitor, I cut off his head.

Slice—!

The Inquisitor's head flew into the air.

It was the result of disrupting their formation through coordination between the archers and the Death Knight.

"Three. If they were Imperial knights, that'd be about five."

I didn't even have the spare focus to react to Ian's evaluation from behind me.

"Huff...! Huff...!"

Bile rose in my throat, and my vision darkened.

'Fuck... there are still five left...!'

My greatest weakness.

This body had not even held a sword for two full months yet.

The prolonged battle and relentless assault had already exhausted my stamina.
Even standing while holding a sword had become agony.

Crunch! Craaack!

And to make matters worse, Hector, who had been holding back the Inquisitors, had also reached his limit.

Crack—!

A stake pierced Hector's head, and his body lost balance before collapsing.

Regeneration was impossible now.
I would have to completely dispel and reconstruct him from scratch.

"It's over, Klein Leinrant."

The five remaining Inquisitors surrounded me at close range.

The only means I had left were the ten Skeletons waiting at long range.

"With this—"
"The mission is complete."

Without hesitation, the Inquisitors swung their hammers toward my head.

"...Uncle."
"What?"

Beyond the Inquisitors surrounding me, I spoke to Ian, who was calmly watching the scene.

"I swear upon my soul, I never did it out of malice."

With that final excuse, I activated the contract seal engraved into the ground.

"Rudel."

The name of the previous Duke, Rudel Leinrant.

The instant I called that name, the heads of the five attacking Inquisitors flew into the air simultaneously.

"...!"

A sword strike with no sound and no warning.

The Inquisitors died without even understanding what had happened, their heads dropping to the ground.

Thud, thud, thud!

The Inquisitors had been wiped out in an instant.

Yet my expression after accomplishing it was unbearably complicated.

"So it really was true."

The Death Knight who had slain five Inquisitors in a single moment.

After confirming his appearance, Ian rose from his seat and walked toward me.

"A descendant of Leinrant turned the previous Duke of Leinrant... my father... into a Death Knight."

Ian's stiffened voice was directed at me as Rudel, clad in black armor, stepped beside me.

"You'd better explain yourself properly, Klein. Otherwise I'll—!"

For the first time, genuine fury entered the voice of the man who had smiled the entire time.

— Look at this brat. Just because you got a little older, now you're pretending to be a filial son?

Rudel's playful voice cut straight through the killing intent Ian had unleashed over the entire training ground.

"...Father?"

Ian frowned as though unable to believe it.

— At least you haven't forgotten your old man's voice.

Feeling the killing intent withdraw, I let out a dry breath.

This was the true reason I had endured that disadvantageous contract just to preserve his will.

The moment the black helmet came off, the face I had only seen in portraits revealed itself.

— It's been a long time, Ian. And Heinkel.

The clear voice of Rudel echoed across the training grounds.

"Is it really... you?"

The current Duke, Heinkel Leinrant, was approaching.