Chapter 85 : Chapter 85
Chapter 85
Reinhardt’s eyes were on the sky.
Not just the sky. Any place Bitdori could go was as good as being within Reinhardt’s line of sight.
Bitdori flew in the sky.
Elmore. It was at a height where the snow-covered city could be seen at a glance.
Its black eyes took in the city.
Reinhardt had asked it to find someone. Those reeking of evil energy, who were obviously related to evil beings.
“Pit. Piii.”
But even after searching for a long time, they were nowhere to be seen.
Bitdori ended its search and quickly descended to the ground.
It flew to Reinhardt and reported what it had seen.
“They’re either hiding somewhere deep, or they really are just trusting Ria and waiting. To the point where even you couldn’t find them, Bitdori.”
Reinhardt came to a conclusion as soon as he heard the explanation.
Bitdori could sense the power of demons.
That was why it could easily find warlocks anytime, anywhere.
Because it could instinctively know their location.
“Just wait a moment. I’ll be right back.”
Reinhardt left Bitdori and went back to the smithy.
I found Blacksmith Kron and gave him some instructions.
“If those people visit again, stall them for as long as you can. I will not be late.”
“How am I supposed to stall them?”
“Any way is fine. Say that Ria is engrossed in her work, or that she’s on the verge of a breakthrough.”
“Should I take that to mean I should send them away?”
“No. You must keep them there. Only then can I deal with all of them without fail.”
Blacksmith Kron looked unsure, but he nodded anyway.
The client had respect and expectations for Ria. He judged that he could stall for a little while.
“But, will you be able to make it in time?”
“I can. I have made separate arrangements.”
“If we need to send word……”
“There’s no need for that.”
“Understood.”
The surveillance was Bitdori’s job.
Bitdori wouldn't pass up an opportunity to punish evil beings.
“You’ll watch from here, and when those guys show up again, you let me know. You can do that, right?”
“Piiit!”
As expected, Bitdori actually seemed excited.
It had to endure Reinhardt’s order to wait for a long time.
Reinhardt left Bitdori and departed from Hasker’s Smithy.
When I returned to the inn, Evangeline was in the middle of a meal on the first floor.
“Sir Reinhardt…… Reinhardt!”
Evangeline put down the stew she was eating and shot up from her seat.
Seeing her bright expression, it was clear she had realized the change that had occurred in her.
“Please finish your meal first. I need to eat too.”
“Yes, then I’ll do that……”
Evangeline couldn't hide her excited mood.
Reinhardt sat across the table and ordered a proper meal.
Soon, a string of dishes that were clearly high in calories were laid out.
“Have you adapted?”
Reinhardt asked as he speared a piece of greasy meat and put it in his mouth.
“Yes. I’ve adapted. I’ve also learned how to use it.”
The answer came out as if she had been waiting for the question.
It was obvious she wanted to pour out all sorts of impressions.
After deliberately eating in silence for a moment, Reinhardt gave Evangeline a chance to boast.
“In what way?”
“Yes? Yes. Reinhardt. I…… I no longer feel the cold. I can also make my sword extremely cold, and it was possible to make the air around me cold, and……”
“So you’ve become able to handle cold energy.”
“Yes, yes!”
“That was your innate talent. I merely gave a small piece of advice to help you awaken that talent.”
“No, that’s not it. The help you gave me, Reinhardt, was……”
Evangeline’s eyes widened in curiosity as she was speaking.
It was because Reinhardt had pushed a cup of water towards her.
“Can you freeze this too?”
“……Yes. Of course.”
Hooo.
Evangeline took a deep breath.
She closed her eyes and brought the tip of her index finger to the water cup.
Crack.
The cold spread in an instant. The water that filled the wooden cup froze solid.
“Is it possible to melt it too?”
“No, not yet to that extent……”
“Do you think it will be possible once you get used to it?”
“Yes. I think so.”
“So there’s potential for further development. You’ve worked hard.”
At the calm congratulations, Evangeline bit her lip firmly.
“Thank you.”
Her voice was trembling faintly.
She seemed to be overcome with emotion.
‘It’s understandable.’
Reinhardt also knew well what Evangeline had been through.
Given her personality, being a burden to someone must have been excruciatingly difficult to bear.
But now, her position had changed.
Instead of receiving someone’s help, she could now confidently pull her own weight as an equal knight.
“How is Fermil doing?”
“He’s doing very well. Thanks to Sir Reinhardt…… no, thanks to Reinhardt.”
“It’s not thanks to me.”
“But he thinks so himself. Just as I’m feeling this way right now.”
“Has he grown?”
“Yes. Definitely.”
Evangeline briefly explained what had happened in the Palma Mountains.
Fermil, the Knight of Paganoa, had shown himself to be better than even the senior knights.
His characteristically sharp and fierce spearmanship had pierced through numerous enemies, thereby lightening the burden on his comrades.
“In the Palma Mountains, I, I couldn’t do anything.”
“It probably wasn’t to that extent. You might have been a little lacking compared to your other comrades, but.”
“The more I lacked, the more the burden on my comrades increased.”
“They are called comrades because they are people who can share the burden. The person who formed the team must have thought that far ahead. I mean, the Commander.”
“That…… that might be possible.”
“It must be. It is the role of the commander to grasp the level of the members. In fact, most of the missions were successful, weren’t they? Without any fatal damage.”
The Commander of the Paganoa Knights was not a person to be taken lightly.
He was clearly human, but a person who had reached the limits of humanity.
‘There were a few humans like that.’
It was a part that could be called a commonality with the original game.
For example, a few professors and the dean of the Floran Imperial Academy.
The commander of the Paganoa Knights, and some of the senior knights.
The pope or cardinals of large religious orders, and so on.
Such characters had settings in the original game of having been active for a long time, and they wielded power that transcended humans.
“Evangeline. Are you in a state to be deployed into battle right away?”
“……What? Yes. It’s possible. If there is an enemy.”
“There is an enemy.”
Evangeline’s slender eyebrows arched.
“Here, in Elmore?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of enemy?”
“Minions of a warlock. We will also find and eliminate the warlock who must be hiding somewhere.”
“In that case, I, Evangeline, will help you annihilate the enemy.”
A murderous glint appeared in her eyes.
Just moments before, Evangeline had been strangely intimidated, but facing an enemy, she was truly a knight.
Sssss-
A faint frost began to spread around Evangeline.
“You’ll need to control your power.”
“Ah.”
The frost instantly vanished.
Evangeline blushed and lowered her gaze, then raised it again.
“Where are the enemies?”
“I will share the specific situation first.”
Reinhardt first specifically relayed the events he had experienced.
Hasker’s Smithy.
The blacksmiths working there.
From the innately talented Ria, to the Sealing Stone.
“It’s that object from back then.”
“Yes. It was a red, sinister lump of mineral.”
“Paganoa has named that object the Sealing Stone. For the reason that evil power is sealed within it.”
“An intuitive name. The Sealing Stone.”
Reinhardt barely managed to suppress the laugh that was about to escape.
‘So that name was decided just now.’
Now I could confidently use the familiar name, Sealing Stone, with anyone.
That fact felt strangely welcome, but it wasn't the important issue right now.
“I can track the scoundrels through certain means. I will handle those who flee, so you will defeat the ones who come to the smithy on my signal.”
“I understand.”
“Also.”
Reinhardt added the most important detail.
“It doesn't matter if your identity, Evangeline, is revealed, but my existence must not be known.”
“This is for the security of Serigel.”
“Yes.”
Evangeline understood perfectly and nodded her head.
“I will make sure it is never revealed. This incident will be considered as something I, Evangeline, a Knight of Paganoa, did on my own.”
With that, the last concern was washed away.
Whether it was a high-ranking official from the City Hall or anyone else, they wouldn't harbor a shred of doubt upon hearing the name ‘Paganoa’.
Soon, the two of them moved.
They moved their lodging near the smithy, and Evangeline took time to adapt to her newly acquired abilities.
Reinhardt browsed the community and waited for Bitdori’s signal.
A few days passed like that.
‘……It’s so obviously those bastards.’
Reinhardt spotted a group heading towards the smithy.
“Piiit-!”
Then, Bitdori’s signal pierced his ears.
It meant he had to move now.
***
Hasker’s Smithy, reception room.
Blacksmith Kron was serving the guests with a single bead of cold sweat on his forehead.
“Ria is currently engrossed in her work. If you wait here for a bit, you’ll be able to see her soon. You’ll be able to confirm her progress as well.”
“Was there progress?”
“There was. I don't know the specifics since I didn’t get close, but.”
“Surprising. I thought she would have given up and thrown it aside by now.”
“Didn’t you all recognize Ria’s talent as well?”
Asking so, Kron observed the other party’s expression.
A contemptuous smile hung on his lips. It seemed as if he was looking down on Ria, or perhaps it was a smile looking down on Kron himself.
“If she succeeded in processing it, then it can certainly be called talent.”
“Ria is a genius.”
“Were there no other problems?”
“Other problems?”
“I’m asking if your little genius kid is okay.”
“A little…… well, she’s not entirely okay. She’s become very sensitive.”
Only then did the man’s expression change as if surprised.
“Is that all?”
“What else would there be? It’s natural to become sensitive when engrossed in work.
Though this time, it did seem a bit excessive.”
“I see. She was a genius after all.”
“You should consider yourselves lucky. There’s no one in this smithy as skilled as Ria. You’ll surely be satisfied when you see the final product……”
He stopped mid-sentence. Flinch.
Kron furrowed his brow.
‘What is that?’
Over the man’s shoulder.
Frost was forming on the closed door of the reception room.
‘Did someone leave the main entrance open? No, that’s not the problem. That door is made of wood.’
It was common for frost to form due to the temperature difference with the outside.
But the reception room door was clearly made of wood. For frost to form on wood, just how cold must it be outside?
‘It’s the knight.’
Hmph! Kron sniffled.
He made a gesture as if he was about to cough, trying hard to hide his emotional turmoil.
Outside that door was the knight who had kept his promise.
If he aroused the man’s suspicion now, he might be taken hostage, or in the worst case, he could be killed.
“A cold?”
“I don’t know. My nose is strangely……”
Crack-
The moment he heard the sound, Kron shut his mouth and shot up. He threw himself behind the wide chair he had been sitting on.
Craaash-!
The sound of something shattering was heard. A chilling cold instantly filled the reception room.
Peeking.
Kron checked the situation with only his eyes over the chair.
‘Who is that now…….’
A silver-haired knight was there. Clad in cold energy, exhaling white breath.