Chapter 97: |
“Ah, Yes! Your Excellency the Marquis!”
“I heard my foolish son is indebted to you. Thank you.”
“Oh, no!”
“No, please accept my gratitude.”
The Marquis Aris took Raymond’s hand.
“My son told me in a letter. Thanks to you, he thinks he can finally break the wall of fear. You turn my foolish son into a man. Thank you very much.”
It was a voice that exuded his love for his son.
‘You don’t know that Elmud swore loyalty to me, right?’
It seems to be like that. It’s better for it to be like that.
Raymond’s heart sank.
He thinks it refers to the oath of loyalty he made back then!
“Uh… Not really.”
‘Help me. I don’t want to die from the Marquis Aris’ sword!’
Anxiety rose wildly in Raymond’s heart.
Then, a new figure appeared as if on cue.
He was a gray-haired middle-aged man with cold eyes in solid armor.
Raymond was able to recognize his identity from the scar across his eye area.
“Oh, Duke Raif!”
Duke Raif!
He was the greatest nobleman in the South!
He is the commander of the regular army in the southern part of the kingdom, and is involved in countless conflicts in the border region with the Droughton bastards.
The actual highest power in the military.
More importantly,
‘Along with His Majesty The King, he is one of the only two sword masters in the Kingdom of Houston.’
Raymond swallowed his saliva.
And more importantly, he is the maternal relative of his bitter rival Seytil.
To be precise, Seytil’s biological mother, the fourth queen, was a close cousin of the Duke Raif.
‘I’m sure I am not going to be harmed because of Seytil, right?’
Fortunately, that didn’t happen.
Far from being harmed, the Duke did not even look at Raymond.
“What about His Majesty The King?”
“He’ll be here soon. Ah, there he is.”
King Oden arrived with some escort knights.
This includes King Oden, Duke Raif, Marquis Aris, and Count Doton.
Four of the five strongest knights in the kingdom were brought together.
“Let’s start the ceremony right now.”
“Yes, sir.”
The Marquis Aris stepped forward.
But Oden shook his head and said something unexpected.
“No, I will do this victory ceremony alone.”
“……!”
“Is there a need for a lot of people to gather around to catch a Shabel Tiger?”
Count Doton, the vice-captain of the Royal Knights, put a troubled face.
“That’s a bit much. There are many monsters other than the Sabel Tiger in the Gir Mountains.”
“So?”
“It could be dangerous…….”
“Dangerous? For who?”
Everyone was silent.
King Oden is a sword master.
He didn’t need to worry about the monsters.
Then, an unexpected answer came out.
“Then you should tell us that you don’t need our help.”
It was the Marquis of Aris.
Rather than stop him, they’re in sync!
“Oh, no. Captain?”
Count Doton was embarrassed, but Duke Raif went one step further before leaving.
“Alright. Then, I will trust you and go home. Time is running out for preparations for our departure. In future cases like this, I would appreciate it if you could tell me in advance.”
The Duke Raif even gave Oden a little verbal beating.
Raymond opened his mouth as he watched the atmosphere going by like this.
‘Are we allowed to do that?’
Count Doton, the only normal person in the room, stopped King Oden while sweating.
“Well, Your Highness. Please think again. It might not be dangerous for you. Still, there will be a lot of inconveniences if you go alone. There’s no one to carry your luggage.”
“Why is there no one to carry my luggage?”
“What?”
King Oden looked at Raymond.
“Baron Penin will.”
“……What?”
“In case I get injured, the healer must follow.”
King Orden made a sudden declaration in an indifferent tone.
“This victory ceremony will be held between me and Baron Penin. So that you know.”
***
‘Why me?!’
Raymond screamed inwardly.
‘What a dangerous place Gir Mountains is!’
The place is called the monster’s den.
‘It is a place I don’t even want to set food it, but I have to go up there alone with Oden?’
Even King Oden didn’t seem to have any intention of protecting him.
“Follow me.”
With only those words left, he quickly walked forward.
As a sword master, his speed was no joke.
He seemed like he was running lightly, but the distance quickly increased.
King Oden, who had been ahead for a while the stopped. He frowned and said. “You’re slow. Don’t delay us and come quickly.”
“……!”
“I won’t wait for you.”
Raymond gritted his lips at the sound of his clothes being scratched.
‘Damn it, what on earth are you thinking? Are you really trying to screw me over on purpose?’
It wasn’t just a thought.
If Raymond fall alone in the Gir Mountains, which are full of monsters, he could die.
‘Should I just go back? Since he is a good sword master, he can take care of himself.’
Raymond had the urge, but it wasn’t possible.
Above all, Raymond didn’t want to be seen in a bad light in front of King Oden.
It was out of pride.
A pride that does not want to show even his slightest bad side to King Oden, the culprit of his misfortune.
‘Damn.’
Then, the message occurred to Raymond.
[You are carrying out a healer’s mission!]
[“Heart of Steel” is manifested!]
Another message popped into his head.
[The person to be protected has made an unfair demand and acted against you!]
[We confirm that the subject under protection is the ‘true opponent’]
[‘True Countermeasure’ is manifested!]
[Show Truth To Truth!]
(Personal Quest)
Precedence: Low
Difficulty level: Medium
Quest Description: The target of your protection has done something unexplainable to you! Unfair truth-telling must be rejected! Show him what should be truly seen!
Clearing conditions: Give the person under your protection a punch
Clear reward: Bonus level up x2, 30 additional skill points
Perks: ‘?’ of the truth
Raymond laugh
Show Oden his truth.
This is Raymond’s favorite quest so far.
‘Okay. Let’s see who wins. I’ll take this opportunity to give him a shit show somehow!’
With his teeth clenched, he began to “deal with” the “truth.”
In other words, he gave up catching up and took a leisurely step.
‘Getting caught up with his intentions is a terrible thing to do! I will go at my own pace.’
Then, after some time, King Oden approached Raymond again.
“What are you doing here like a sloth? Follow me quickly.” As usual, it was a chilly voice.
But instead of being discouraged, Raymond looked straight at King Oden.
Is it because the ‘true countermeasure’ is emerging?
Raymond was able to treat him as if he was dealing with the general “truth.”
“I can’t.”
“……!”
“I’m a healer. I’m obliged to reserve my stamina in case of emergency. If you want my help as a healer, please be considerate of me.”
In a moment, there was a heavy silence.
King Oden stared straight at Raymond without saying a word.
Normally, Raymond would have trembled and lowered his head. However, because of the ‘Heart of Steel’ and ‘True Countermeasure’, it made a synergy effect on him.
Raymond just looked at King Oden in a sullen way.
‘I didn’t say anything wrong.’
“If you feel uncomfortable, it would’ve been a great idea to bring along a ‘Knight Healer’ who can keep up with your pace.”
‘If I tease him, he will eventually leave me alone.’
But King Oden’s reaction was strange.
It was a word that could be called profane, but it did not cause him to get mad.
Rather than being offended, he had a strange look in his eyes.
‘What? Why is he looking at me like that?’
The moment he tilted his head, Oden said.
“Follow me on your own pace then.”
Swish!
Then he disappeared.
Raymond frowned.
‘Is it because I have a lot of accumulated emotions? Ge kept feeling twisted inside.
‘I really hate it. I am so unlucky.’
Afterwards, a strange climb continued.
King Oden didn’t seem to have moved forward for a while. Raymond went up at his own pace regardless.
‘He is a sword master, so if he had gotten hurt, he will come back to him on his own.’
Raymond pursed his lips.
It was then.
Something happened that made his heart sank.
Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
The monster appeared!
A mole about a meter in size.
It was a giant mole, a C-list monster.
‘Huh! What should I do?’
The situation that he was worried about is happening.
‘I had to fight.’
‘Damn. What am I going to do as a healer?’
‘This was all because of King Oden.’
Raymond thought while gritting his teeth.
Raymond took out his mace, a self-defense iron club exclusively for healers.
[It’s a crisis!]
[Self-defense skill, ‘Healer’s self-defense’ is manifested!]
[Stat]
Stamina: 37 → 47
Sense: 33 → 38
‘Is this the end? Is there no additional stat increase anymore?’
Raymond tilted his head when no additional message came to mind.
The achievement, “the dwarf who knocked down a giant” effect, should appear, but there was no news.
‘Isn’t this monster weaker than me?’
At that moment, it occurred to him.
The effect of achievement, “the dwarf who knocked down a giant,” is expressed when he meets a stronger opponent than him.
In fact, it didn’t feel like much of a threat.
‘I have became stronger than a C-class monster?’
Raymond looked perplexed.
For reference, C-class monsters are known to have power equivalent to ‘official knights’.
‘Anyway, what should I do? Should we send a rescue signal?’
In principle, it was right to send a rescue signal to Oden.
‘I don’t know if it’s an unavoidable situation.’
But he didn’t really want to ask for King Oden’s help.
‘Let’s give it a try! I am Raymond of the strong and the weak! I can deal with anyone who looks weaker than me! Come at me!’
Raymond aimed his iron club at the monster.
There is a sharp tension now.
As soon as the mole ran in!
Faah!
A thin beam of light flew in and penetrated the mole’s head.
It was the symbol of the Sword Master, the Aurora Blade!
“What are you doing?” Oden asked with a frown.
“Why didn’t you step down?”
Raymond laughed in vain.
‘He is not asking because he is worried, right?’
Of course not.
“Then what should I do? The enemy has appeared, and I have to fight it even if I don’t want to.” Raymond answered sullenly.
“It’s reckless. Giant moles are monsters who can run away easily.”
Is that so?
He didn’t know that.
If what King Oden said was true, it might’ve been better to avoid unnecessary risks because he is a healer.
Still, he said this because Raymond doesn’t want to lose: “Doesn’t the spirit of Houston always emphasize a courageous struggle? I didn’t want to run away without even competing. I think it’s right to retreat then if it happened to be too much after competing.”
A courageous struggle.
It was a maxim from the House of Houston left by the founding king.
It was just an answer that came out of curiosity, but King Oden’s reaction was strange again.
He murmured as if he was lost in thought.
“A courageous struggle.”
Then he looked at Raymond silently for a long time.
‘What? Why is he looking at me like that again?’