Volume 2 Chapter 79 Dark Knight II
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Katze and the others advanced swiftly with their long swords raised high.
They intended to perform a basic downward slash known as ‘Raging Strike’ in the swordsmanship of the Franz Kingdom knights.
Their target was a diagonal line from Owl’s shoulder to his waist.
With a beautiful trajectory like an example from a textbook, Katze’s blade swung down.
Any ordinary knight would be cleaved in half by this powerful attack without a chance to defend.
However, Owl thrust his body toward Katze, the long magician’s stick perched on his shoulder.
The long sword struck the shaft of the stick, creating a high metallic sound and scattering orange sparks.
Katze’s eyes widened.
The long sword slid along the surface of Owl’s stick, missing the floor entirely.
The fundamental and ultimate technique, the lethal ‘Raging Strike’, had been effortlessly deflected──.
In a split second, Katze attempted to evade, but even before he could, the jewel on the stick struck him hard on the nose.
”Gah…?!”
Staggering, Katze faltered.
His body became an obstacle, halting the movement of his fellow knights.
”――――, ――――.”
In that instant, Owl’s eyes gleamed with a mysterious light.
”…!?” “Huh…?” “――――!”
The effect was dramatic.
The 6 swordsmen facing Owl froze rigidly, as if caught in a golden bind.
It was unclear whether the other spectators noticed, but a special magic power was emanating from Owl’s knightly eyes.
Kian, watching, squinted slightly.
(That is the ‘Magic Eye of the Charm’)
Owl arrogantly commanded the frozen knights.
”End your own lives.”
”Yes.” “Understood.” “As you wish…”
”What? You all, what is wrong? What are you──”
By Katze’s side, holding their Long swords to their own necks, the knights appeared to be unresponsive to their master’s call.
Under the spell of Owl’s gaze, the men lunged toward their swords one after another──.
…A flower of red blood blossomed.
Screams rose from the audience.
The smell of iron ruined the aroma of the food.
Surrounding Katze, 5 squires had pierced their own necks and met their ends.
It’s fortunate for those who merely pierced their throats, but two of them had their heads completely blown off due to excessive recoil.
They were flooding the carpet with red blood, gushing from necks that no longer had heads.
(Only Katze had high magic resistance, so he wasn’t affected by Owl’s mind control.)
Before Kian could calmly analyze, the silver blade hidden in Owl’s staff was revealed.
Katze was long past the point of being able to counterattack, yet Owl, indifferent to that, gruesomely severed his limbs and killed him.
”Lord Katze!” “Aaaa!”
”Shut up!”
Owl’s high-pitched voice.
The nobles fell silent in a single leap.
Owl stowed away the blade, which wasn’t stained with a drop of blood, back inside his staff.
A small sound echoed in the hall.
”I merely eliminated someone who tried to prove his innocence in a duel. Justice is on my side.”
”That’s right.”
Homolka raised his voice loudly.
The portly Archbishop continued grandly while looking around at those present.
”Lord Katze was a knight hired by the murderer McCutchen, everyone. If left unchecked, he might have escaped the law after killing Sir Godfrey. Lord Owl did nothing wrong. Right? Isn’t that true? Rather, we should applaud here. Come on, applause, applause.”
Homolka clapped his hands.
Natasha followed suit beside him.
The pale-faced bureaucrats of Baron Mankovich joined in with the clapping.
The surrounding nobles also began to clap, mimicking the action.
”Aren’t you going to applaud, Eleonora?”
”Archbishop Homolka, I’m──”
”──Owl”
Amidst the rising applause, a quiet voice arose.
It was Maribel.
She looked up at the tall knight, resembling a dark shadow, with furrowed brows.
”────”
Maribel stared at Owl with a blank expression, saying nothing for a moment.
Behind her, a frightened Christy tugged at her skirt, exclaiming, “Hey, Manon!”
The blonde young princess appeared to be quietly angry.
But she quickly smiled and spoke loudly to comfort Owl.
”It is a great honor, Owl. Thank you for protecting this fragile one.”
”Not yet, Your Excellency Maribel.”
Owl slowly turned to look down at the old steward, who was collapsed on the ground, trembling violently.
The nobles, who had stopped applauding, now gazed at him as if he were a sacrificial pig.
”S-stop… I’m the steward. Your Excellency Maribel’s steward… Such rudeness cannot be forgiven…”
”────”
Owl silently reached his right hand toward McCutchen’s head.
”Eek! No! I don’t want to!”
He rolled away and crawled across the carpet.
With his face a mess of tears and snot, he screamed.
”Someone help me! I don’t want to die! Is there no one on my side?”
”Hehehe♡ Not a single person in this venue.”
”Ugh, uuuu…, uuuuuuuuh.”
He curled up on the floor.
Trembling lightly.
Owl smirked as he raised his staff.
”Please wait.”
”…Your Excellency?”
”I am a person with heart. While cruel measures may be necessary sometimes, we should show mercy regarding McCutchen.”
Saying this, Maribel directed her gaze at Eleonora and others, who were frowning at the commotion before them.
The blonde young princess stood in front of McCutchen, appealing to the lords with whom the long-serving old steward had built friendship.
”It was McCutchen who poisoned my father, but it was also McCutchen who protected and raised me until this age. Now, within me, 2 hearts are struggling. The heart that does not want to forgive my parent’s murderer and the heart that wants to help my guardian. ──Owl, you understand, don’t you? You, who are more human than anyone else.”
(Conflicted emotions swirl within me, torn between vengeance and gratitude.)
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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