Chapter 132 : Chapter 132
Chapter 132
The rocks of the desert are gradually worn away.
Not because of a powerful force.
The wind blows, the sun shines, it gets rained on, it freezes; through numerous such processes, the rock naturally weathers away.
Dirk became the wind that carved the rock. He became the sun, the summer rain, and the harsh cold of winter.
‘Just how much did he train?’
The tusk of a giant magical beast.
Its surface was covered with the marks of grueling training.
It was all sword gashes.
Considering that it was as hard as steel, this alone was proof that Dirk had grown.
‘He’s practically whittled it down. There are shallow gashes, and this one... is deep. It must have been made recently.’
The results were beyond expectations.
In fact, he had been neglected for longer than anticipated.
If not for the crisis that befell Evangeline, he would have been brought back to the knighthood long ago.
“Dirk.”
“Yes, Sir Knight.”
“Was it bearable?”
“Honestly, it was fun. Though it was a little lonely. Haha.”
Dirk's hair was shaggy. His beard had also grown thick.
This is what happens when you don't meet people. It was proof that he had lived alone, focusing on a single goal.
Reinhardt shifted his gaze.
Next to the magical beast's tusk was a large pile of broken swords.
It was like a graveyard of swords.
“Good work.”
“Yup. But I failed to cleave it.”
“Cleave it?”
“I thought I could split it in half, you know? But I couldn't. It was greedy of me.”
Splitting a magical beast's tusk in half.
It was uncertain how many people were capable of such a feat.
Of course, Reinhardt himself could do it. That was when Justice was at its maximum stack.
Evangeline would likely be unable to. If she repeated the process of freezing and thawing, she might somehow manage it.
Fermil couldn't split it either. As his weapon was a spear, the most he could do was leave the deepest wound.
“It doesn't matter. It’s something most knights can't do. Let's see how deep you can cut now.”
“Yup!”
Dirk gripped his sword.
He honed his spirit to a sharp edge.
CRACK-!
The ensuing sword strike deeply gouged the surface of the tusk, as if scraping it away.
Dirk smiled as if embarrassed.
“No matter how hard I try, I can't do better than what I just showed you. This is a bit embarrassing.”
Reinhardt approached the tusk and examined the gash.
It was deep enough to fit about two knuckles.
This was enough power to pierce the thick hide of a magical beast.
‘It's enough.’
No, it was more than enough.
Reinhardt examined Dirk's sword.
It was standard issue from the Taton Knights.
Though the quality wasn't bad, it couldn't be called a good item.
“Is that sword broken?”
“Huh? It’s not broken. It was just one swing. It’s a sword I’ve only used for a day.”
The blade was still sharp.
That too was evidence of his proficiency.
Dirk had become capable of cutting steel with a sword. And with perfect power and angle, minimizing the impact on the sword.
‘He really was a genius. He was the type to grow like crazy if given the right conditions.’
At this point, excluding Reinhardt, Dirk was the strongest knight in Taton.
And not just in Taton.
He wouldn't be lacking even if he joined the Paganoa Knights.
‘And he'll continue to grow. He's tough enough to handle being pushed hard.’
Both mentally and physically.
Dirk was the kind of talent who could willingly endure grueling training.
“Dirk.”
“Yes?”
“You've worked hard.”
“Not at all. I just swung my sword all day here. Compared to what you went through, Sir Knight, it's nothing. Irien must be having a tough time too, learning all sorts of things at the academy.”
Dirk said with a foolish smile.
It was clear he genuinely thought so.
He had a look on his face that showed he didn't know how much he had grown, nor how incredible this achievement was.
“A knightly mindset. Excellent. Before we return, let's check one last thing. Change your sword.”
“Should I get a new one?”
“Use the one I gave you.”
“Ah, that one?”
For some reason, he looked reluctant.
But that was only for a moment.
Dirk nodded his head with a look of having made a rather big decision.
“I didn't use it because I thought it might break… Understood.”
“If it breaks, I'll get you a new one.”
“Ah, is that so? In that case.”
Only after Reinhardt's promise did Dirk grin and take out the sword he had stored away carefully.
It was a gift from Reinhardt.
It was crafted by processing a magical beast's tusk, which meant it was a sword several times better than the knighthood's standard issue.
And a good sword meant.
It provided the user with considerable convenience in cutting down enemies.
SLICE-
The sound itself was different from before.
“Huh?”
Dirk looked bewildered.
It cut so smoothly that he momentarily staggered and even lost his balance.
“Uh, this? Why is it like this?”
The magical beast's tusk was literally sliced like tofu.
Dirk checked the sword and the tusk several times before looking at Reinhardt with a pleading expression.
“Sir Knight? Did you perhaps do something?”
“It is your strength.”
“Huh?”
“It is the result of your effort. We are returning. Pack your things.”
Dirk, with a dumbfounded look on his face, hastily followed.
He didn't have many belongings. He left the broken swords behind, and he didn't bother to erase the traces of his camp.
“Bitdori. What about the surroundings?”
“Ppiit.”
“No one around, you say?”
“Ppit.”
Just then, Bitdori, who had been on patrol, returned.
Fortunately, there were no enemies nearby.
He had chosen a relatively safe location, but the situation was different now.
Especially for someone close to Reinhardt, it wouldn't be strange to be targeted at any time.
“Look around a little more. Let me know if you see anything. Until we return to the city.”
“Ppit!”
Bitdori once again soared high into the sky.
Reinhardt waited for Dirk and then boarded the carriage with him.
“To the knighthood.”
“Yes, sir! I’ll take you there!”
The driver replied energetically.
Dirk was still sitting with a somewhat dazed expression.
“Take a shower as soon as you get back.”
“Do I smell bad?”
“You reek.”
“I’m sorry. There was no place to wash. But, huh?”
Dirk, who was smiling with his yellowed teeth, widened his eyes.
He had only just noticed the strange phenomenon.
“Why are you glowing?”
“It just happened.”
“Well, I suppose it’s possible for someone like you, Sir Knight. Everyone probably thinks so.”
It was a strangely quick acceptance, but it wasn't wrong.
In fact, most people around Reinhardt had a similar reaction.
Ethan Taton, in particular, seemed to have an air of ‘I don’t want to dig too deep’ about him for some reason.
“There’s no need to spare your equipment. If it breaks, I’ll get you a new one.”
“Such a valuable sword?”
“Yes.”
“Wow, I understand. That's great for me. If I had known, I would have trained with the sword you gifted me from the start.”
“It’s not that big of a deal.”
“Ah, is that so?”
It was the moment Dirk asked back with a silly laugh.
FLASH, the outside of the window lit up.
It was the light cast by Bitdori, who was flying in urgently.
“Ppiit! Ppit! Ppiiit!”
Dirk was beside him. He couldn't converse with Bitdori.
So he kept his mouth shut, and Reinhardt interpreted Bitdori's gestures only in his mind.
An enemy is approaching.
Their numbers are ridiculously large.
Reinhardt shot up and pushed Dirk aside. He shouted urgently at the window on the driver's side.
“Carriage at maximum speed! An enemy is approaching!”
“Ye-yes?”
“Grab the whip first! If you hesitate, you will die here!”
The experienced driver, though greatly flustered, somehow followed the instructions.
NEIGH!
The horse, startled by the sudden whipping, began to gallop at full speed. The wheels rattled wildly as the speed increased abruptly.
“S-Sir Knight?”
“An enemy is approaching. We might have to fight if it comes to it. You don't get off. Return to Serigel just like this.”
“I can't do that! I'll help too!”
“I don’t know if it’s because you’ve become a knight, or because you haven’t been hit lately.”
“It’s not like that…”
Just then, in the distance outside the window, something dark could be seen approaching.
It was like a tidal wave.
The difference was that this was not the sea, and for a tidal wave, it was moving far too dynamically.
Reinhardt changed his mind.
This was not a number they could fight.
‘Are they insane?’
He could reduce their numbers.
Reinhardt himself would not be in danger.
Even if thrown into the midst of the enemies, the current Reinhardt was confident he could survive.
But he could not slow their advance.
There was a limit to what one person could do.
Even if he reduced their numbers by a few, it was certain that most of the approaching magical beasts would reach Serigel.
“...We need to go faster! If you don’t want to see Serigel fall into enemy hands!”
The plan to send Dirk back first was scrapped.
Reinhardt chose to push the driver to his limits.
It was far better than having the entire city fall.
***
Reinhardt had already taken ‘sufficient measures’ in Serigel early on.
This was to reduce the city's damage when he was away, or when an overwhelmingly powerful enemy appeared.
The methods of these measures were varied.
'Informants with the status of Inquisitors' provided by Paganoa operated in hiding throughout the city, and a professor from the Floran Imperial Academy had come and set up large-scale defensive magic.
Large orders like Truma and Lubra provided precious holy relics and dispatched well-trained priests and holy knights.
But that was all.
It was an excellent countermeasure against warlocks, but against a horde of magical beasts surging like a tidal wave, it was nothing more than a candle in the wind.
“Request support from the Paganoa Knights right now. You must also ask for help from
Floran and the headquarters of each order. We can only hold out for a short while.”
The carriage carrying Reinhardt miraculously succeeded in reaching Serigel.
It was one step ahead of the magical beasts, and thanks to that, Reinhardt had the time to report the situation to Ethan.
“S-so, you’re saying.”
“This is not the time for that!”
“Ah, I got it!”
Ethan's crisis management skills shone.
Even in a state of semi-panic, he acted instinctively.
He alerted the Mayor of Serigel to the crisis and selected a few knights with exceptional stamina and endurance to send as messengers in all directions.
He also informed the key military forces throughout the city.
That a crisis had befallen Serigel, and if everyone did not act immediately, it would be impossible even to buy time.
“Sir Reinhardt!”
The first to respond was the Truma Order.
The Cardinal's authority shone like a bright lamp in the face of the crisis.
Dalton came to find Reinhardt after having gathered every last holy knight and priest from within the temple.
“Cardinal Dalton. What of Truma?”
“He has not said anything.”
“Have you requested support from the main sanctuary?”
“Yes. But it will take time to receive a reply.”
It was an unavoidable physical limitation.
This was a world without cell phones or radios.
But once the news was delivered, a positive response would surely come.
Truma would not let his cherished cardinal die.
In that case, they had no choice but to use the given resources and environment to their fullest to buy time.
“Relay this to all priests and holy knights.”
“Sir Reinhardt. What is this…?”
Dalton, who received the bottle containing the neutralizer, narrowed his brow.
In response, Reinhardt gave him the answer he wanted.
“It is holy water. Douse your clothes, sprinkle it on the walls, and apply it to your weapons.”