Volume 1 Chapter 46 Quest：Obsidian To Roses I
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
In the duel space of the labyrinth, rain was pouring down heavily.
”…”
”Haah…, haah…”
”Come on, you bastard! I’ll smash your skull and stuff it full of crap!”
Next to the noisy clanging of shields and maces, Funnelwing was breathing heavily.
The cold rain soaked his cat-like fur, and white breath escaped repeatedly from his well-defined mouth.
He held his greatsword in a ready stance, staring intently at Kian in front of him.
”…”
Kian stood with his longsword positioned next to his right ear.
He knew that Funnelwing wouldn’t jump in because he recognized there was no opening on his side.
In the past, as the ‘garbage scavenger,’ Kian wouldn’t have been able to reach Funnelwing’s neck even if he aimed to cut it.
But with his current amount of magic power, a strike aimed at the neck would be lethal.
That’s why he hesitated to advance.
”…”
Suddenly, Kian relaxed his stance, twisting his wrist to hold the sword backward, hiding the blade behind his back.
He was trying to break the stalemate.
He extended his unarmed left hand forward, deliberately showing an opening.
It was a stance inviting an attack.
”…! Deyaaah!”
With that, Funnelwing seemed to lose his patience.
He charged straight in.
The cat-like swordsman stepped forward with determination and swung his greatsword down toward Kian’s head.
Whoosh.
A strange sound echoed.
A powerful slash was aimed at Kian, who was half-exposed to Funnelwing.
”────”
”Ah…”
In an instant, Kian’s body blurred.
The vertical swing of the greatsword was easily dodged by the young warrior monk, who leaned back slightly.
The heavy iron sword cut through the air uselessly, its blade plunging deep into the muddy ground.
”────”
”…”
The sound of the quiet rain continued.
A high-pitched sound rang out, like iron bending finely.
The tip of the longsword swayed behind the neck of the cat-like swordsman.
Kian was standing ‘behind’ Funnelwing, holding a long sword in a reverse grip, poised to strike upward from a low position.
After a moment, bright red blood gushed from Funnelwing’s neck.
”…Ggh…”
Unable to breathe, Funnelwing collapsed to his knees.
He dropped his weapon and hunched over, pressing his hand against his bleeding neck.
It was checkmate.
A leap of attack and defense that lacked any flair.
Funnelwing had swung his greatsword, and for some reason, his neck was slashed open.
Perhaps the one who was cut understood the situation the least.
”Phew──”
As blood sprayed, Kian casually plunged his long sword into the back of Funnelwing’s head.
”────”
The sound of bones crunching echoed.
With his head pierced, the handsome swordsman was pinned to the ground.
His body twitched, and as his enhanced physical abilities faded, he shrank back to his original size.
The delinquent monk, who still couldn’t move, let out a faint voice.
”Fu…Funnel, Wing…?”
”N-nooo!”
”────”
Amid Franciska’s screams, Kian quietly withdrew the wooden sword from his back and aimed it at Rosen.
”Stop it!”
Franciska cried out with a tearful voice.
”Please! Why are you doing something so terrible!? Stop it, please!”
”Ugh…damn it, damn it all!”
”Are you not coming at me?”
Kian asked briefly.
Franciska, collapsed on the ground, shouted.
”No! Senior Rosen, don’t go! I’ll be killed!”
”…! Ugh, damn it…!”
Seeing Funnelwing brutally slaughtered without a chance to fight back, the delinquent monk’s face turned pale, unable to even threaten anymore.
The mace he held trembled violently.
”If you’re not coming, then I’ll come at you again. Let’s see… first, I’ll kill the magician (Franciska), who might be able to deal damage to me.”
”────!? S-stop it, bastarddd!”
Rosen let out a shrill scream as he charged in.
He had no skills or techniques.
Like a thug from the village, he raised his mace and rushed towards Kian.
Kian met the mace head-on with his wooden sword, channeling magic power into it.
”Guah!?”
The mace of the delinquent priest shattered halfway.
It was an application of ‘impact’, a powerful technique of Azrael that destroyed the weapons upon collision.
Losing his weapon, Rosen instinctively raised his left hand shield to protect his upper body.
Kian, undeterred, struck him with the wooden sword wrapped in magic power.
In the split second the sword made contact with the surface of the shield, he infused magic power into it, shattering the shield along with Rosen’s left arm.
Rosen let out a short scream and lost his balance.
Kian stepped in closer and stabbed him under the armpit with the dismantling knife he held in his left hand.
”…!? Ah…?”
Blood gushed from Rosen’s mouth.
He staggered backward and fell to his knees.
He touched his armpit and realized it was stained bright red.
”…! Cough…”
Kian picked up the broken mace and rolled it in front of him as he knelt.
”…!”
Rosen’s eyes widened as he stared at the mace.
Then, with hollow eyes, he looked up at Kian.
”…Uuuuuun!”
He slammed his fist into the ground, grabbed the mace, and stood up.
Rosen, in a half-dead state, tried to confront Kian.
Just then, Franciska rushed in from behind.
”Stop it! Please, help me! Help me!”
She pulled Rosen back and stepped forward protectively.
”Why are you doing this!? Stop it!”
”Hmm…”
Kian looked down at the blonde magician.
Compared to Aliona and Serena, she was small, but she had a decent amount of magic power for a human.
She had some value as emergency food.
”Help me… please, don’t kill me…”
Franciska hugged the bloodied Rosen, pleading in a thin voice.
After staring at them for a while, Kian nodded once.
”Does that mean you want to make a deal with me as a magician?”
”Sniff… a deal…?”
”Yes.”
Kian nodded and spread his arms.
He continued speaking.
”I will save your lives. However, I need something in return. Franciska, you know the principle of equivalent exchange if you’re using magic.”
”…I don’t know…”
”Give me a price. Something that matches your lives. If you do that, I will save you.”
”Do… do I just need to pay money?”
”Not just money. Everything.”
Kian looked deep into Franciska’s eyes.
”Offer me everything you have. If you do, I will help you.”
”I’ll give it! I’ll give you anything…! I’ll do anything, just don’t kill Senior Rosen!”
”Very well, a binding contract is now established.”
Kian nodded and shoved Franciska away.
”Kyah!”
Then, he swung his wooden sword and severed Rosen’s limbs, causing her to stumble.
”────!? Ughhhhhh!?”
”Senior Rosen!? Noooooo!”
The dismembered body of the fallen priest collapsed to the ground.
Franciska gasped in shock. But then Kian placed his hand on Rosen’s chest and started to channel magic power into him, trying to heal him quickly.
”Ugh…!?”
The severed flesh bulged and closed up, healing the wounds.
Rosen, who was in agony, stood up and lean to the wide-eyed Franciska.
”Aggh!?”
At the same time, Kian grabbed Franciska’s throat with his right arm.
She scratched at Kian’s hand and kicked her legs.
Still, he raised his arm, tightening his grip around her neck.
”Ah…, …”
Tears streamed down as Franciska clawed at Kian’s arm.
She was leaking urine from her groin.
In a final act of resistance, she gripped Kian’s arm tightly, as if it had come loose.
Her thick lips opened and closed desperately, gasping for air.
And then──her arm fell limp.
Kian lowered her to the ground and cast a magic of subjugation.
”Franciska, Franciskaaa!”
Rosen shouted from behind.
Kian whispered to the vacant-eyed Franciska.
”As promised, I will help you. You know who he is, right?”
”…Senior Rosen.”
”That’s right. He ended up in such a terrible state from fighting the monster. But it’s okay, from now on, you will take care of him.”
”Yeah…”
”Good girl. There will be tough times, but I’m on your side.”
”I’ll kill you, ‘garbage scavenger’! I’ll kill you!”
Rosen shouted, spitting as he yelled.
Kian approached him expressionlessly and punched him in the throat.
”Ugh…”
”────.”
He healed the mess that was Rosen’s mouth and throat with healing magic.
However, he did not restore him.
It was a distorted regeneration.
He probably didn’t need a voice anymore.
”…! …”
”Rest in peace. You have nothing to worry about. I will keep my promise. When you wake up next, you will be dreaming happily with her.”
Kian whispered this and cast the magic of subjugation on Rosen as well.
”──────, …”
”Senior Rosen. Senior Rosen…”
Franciska crouched down beside the unmoving Rosen and embraced him like a baby.
”It’s okay, Senior Rosen. It’s okay…”
The presence of battle disappeared from the ‘Labyrinth of Roses.’.
Only the sound of the gently falling rain coldly filled the space.
* * *
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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