Report
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Max]
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Chapter 9: Pursuing the Branded Knight (3)
“Soldiers, Fall in formation.”
At the knights' shouts, the soldiers hurriedly moved into position.
Torches lined the outer walls of the mansion, illuminating the area, and barricades were erected.
Sharpened logs were placed to impede the charge of cavalry.
Even heavy cavalry would find it difficult to break through easily.
The soldiers suppressed their anxiety as they looked at the obstacles they had set up.
The commotion subsided, and a deathly silence fell.
It was a dark night, without even the moon to offer any light.
Only the torches, coated in pine resin, crackled and burned.
Even their light, for some reason, couldn't penetrate far and was swallowed by the dense darkness.
Not even the usual sounds of animals or insects could be heard.
Only the tense breathing and the occasional gulps of the soldiers broke the silence.
"...It's coming."
Hamel muttered quietly.
Beeeeeeeeeeeeep!
A high-pitched trumpet sound, like a funeral march, echoed from the depths of the forest.
Several soldiers fell on their backsides at the sound.
Their legs seemed to have given way, and they crawled on the ground, unable to stand up.
"Pull yourselves together! Get up!"
The lord, flustered by the terrified soldiers, shouted, but Hamel remained unfazed.
The soldiers couldn't be counted as fighting strength anyway.
"My lord, you should leave this place."
"But, but..."
The lord hesitated at Hamel's words, but Hamel's thoughts were clear.
"It's better that way."
"...Alright. I'll leave it to you."
Instead of arguing with Hamel, the lord hurriedly gathered the terrified soldiers who couldn't move and evacuated them into the building.
The red knight glanced at the direction where the lord had disappeared, then lightly bowed his head towards Hamel.
Then, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword, he shouted,
"Draw your swords!"
Shing!
The swords were drawn with a sharp sound.
The other two knights also echoed his call and drew their swords.
The soldiers, regaining their composure, also knocked arrows on their bowstrings or pointed their spears forward, staring into the darkness.
At that moment, a black shape flickered in the dark forest.
Rustle!
It was moving relentlessly.
And straight towards them.
The being that had been vague until now revealed its malice without reservation.
Even the knights lowered their swords and muttered,
"...What in the world is that?"
"To think we have to face that..."
A giant form appeared at the edge of their vision.
It emerged from the forest.
Crack!
Sturdy fir trees snapped like twigs in its path.
Even the solid outer wall of the mansion seemed unable to stop it.
Finally, it emerged from the shadowy forest, and the bonfire lit in the clearing illuminated its form.
It was the form of a predator, the shape of a beast.
Golden fur rippled across its massive, lion-like body.
Giant paws with sharp claws trod lightly on the ground.
But atop this body was the face of a middle-aged man with a magnificent black beard.
Riteil, the Man-Faced Lion.
Its appearance was no different from the legends.
It rolled its dignified-looking eyes and surveyed the people.
And then...
Rip!
Its mouth, hidden beneath its beard, split open, tearing all the way to its ears.
Within its blood-red maw, pearly white teeth, resembling those of a human, gleamed.
No one dared to blink at the grotesque sight.
A chilling voice, like scraping metal, emerged from Riteil's gaping mouth.
[Who is it?]
The people were frozen in place by this unexpected situation.
Riteil frowned and spoke again.
[Who stole the sacrifice meant for my Lord?]
At that moment, an arrow shot out from someone's bow.
A soldier, unable to overcome his fear, had released the string.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, the arrow struck Riteil's body.
Snap!
The arrow broke powerlessly and fell to the ground.
It was like an arrow shot at a castle wall.
The soldiers turned pale and quietly lowered their weapons.
This was not a being that humans could face.
[...]
The King of Beasts was haughty.
It seemed to be displaying magnanimity, taking its time with the prey before it.
Its long tail, reminiscent of a scorpion's, swayed gracefully.
That was all.
But the people understood the meaning of that action.
It was showing mercy.
It asked who had intercepted its offering, demanding betrayal and submission from the humans.
The people reflexively turned their heads, their gazes converging on a single point.
They didn't point fingers, but was it any different?
At the end of their gazes stood a priest.
The exorcist priest, who had embarked on this exorcism mission with his deacon, slowly drew his sword.
And slowly walked towards Riteil.
"...Priest!"
The red knight gritted his teeth and shouted towards Hamel.
Asking what he should do.
Hamel turned his head and said calmly,
"I'll leave the rear to you."
That was all.
Hamel resumed his stride that he had momentarily halted. The knights and soldiers who had been chasing his retreating figure suddenly flushed with shame.
It was not a conscious action.
But the end result was that they had sacrificed an innocent priest.
Yet, the priest did not express disappointment.
He did not rage or grieve.
He simply understood and accepted the role he had to play and moved forward.
***
"Ehurshica, god of order and death, grant me the strength to advance like a buffalo and the boldness of a lion. Let your power dwell in my sword."
It wasn't a particularly meaningful action. Just a habitual ritual.
Hamel offered a prayer and brought the sword to his forehead.
The coldness of the metal felt particularly vivid today.
A sarcastic voice was directed towards him.
[So it's you.]
Riteil, who had stopped, grinned, mocking Hamel before him.
It opened its mouth wide, torn to its ears, and sneered at the weak humans.
[To abandon your own kind... How like vermin.]
Riteil's yellow eyes seemed to hold contempt for humans.
"You seem to be feeling a sense of superiority."
Hamel muttered and raised his sword in an upper stance.
He didn't like that smile.
Those arrogant eyes.
That malicious voice.
All of it made Hamel nauseous.
The plan was to buy time until morning.
But with such a vague mindset, he wouldn't be able to do anything.
Therefore, what Hamel had to do was no different from usual.
Creak!
The leather grip of the sword in his hand creaked under his tight grasp.
To strike and tear.
That was what Hamel had to do now.
Malice, far removed from a clergyman, swelled from deep within his throat, making its presence known.
And Hamel was quite pleased with that feeling.
"Come."
The next moment,
Crack!
Riteil's scorpion-like tail struck down towards Hamel's head.
Hamel swung the sword above his head and barely managed to deflect the poisonous stinger.
His flesh trembled, and his bones ached.
It felt like he had been beaten with a blunt weapon.
Nevertheless, Hamel stepped forward.
The night was long.
To endure, he had to find a way to counter Riteil while his body was still somewhat intact.
Thud!
Hamel deflected the attack and dashed forward, taking in the entire situation with his heightened senses.
Hamel swung his sword at Riteil, who was watching with amusement.
That gaze was unsettling, but it wasn't a reason to stop. His target was the neck.
As with all living beings, the neck was a vital spot for demons.
The swung sword collided with Riteil's neck.
Crack!
However, the moment the sword touched the black mane covering its neck, Hamel realized.
He couldn't cut it.
"..."
Hamel clicked his tongue inwardly and hurriedly retreated.
Each strand of the mane was like a bull's tendon.
Thousands of layers of tough, hard hair were like wearing armor.
Instead of chasing the retreating Hamel, Riteil puffed up its mane as if boasting.
Its form appeared twice as large as before, exuding an overwhelming sense of intimidation.
"Grrr."
"R-run..."
The soldiers, overwhelmed by the pressure, trembled and convulsed.
They wet themselves and foamed at the mouth.
The fear exuded by the King of Beasts.
An unbearable terror for ordinary people descended upon the surroundings.
Riteil fixed its gaze solely on Hamel.
His legs felt heavy.
As if soaked in water, his legs felt heavier than usual, weighed down by the oppressive presence.
Even Hamel couldn't escape the pressure.
But he had no intention of just taking it.
"Ehurshica."
Chanting the god's name, Hamel glared at Riteil.
It was difficult to cut through the mane-covered neck.
The skin of its torso, which had deflected arrows like toothpicks, was equally thick.
The only place to target was its human-like face.
'It's unsettling...'
Hamel clicked his tongue inwardly.
His opponent was an ancient monster.
It must have figured out a way to compensate for its weakness long ago.
That must be why its face had been unguarded, as if inviting an attack.
Of course, it could be genuine carelessness, but Hamel felt that it wasn't.
That place was a trap.
[This is boring.]
As Hamel's contemplation dragged on, Riteil began to move towards him.
Just as it approached with its characteristically light gait,
Flap
Black-red wings sprouted from its back.
Then, it leaped into the air and disappeared in an instant.
Even with torches, the light could only illuminate a few dozen meters around them.
'...Where did it go?'
Just as Hamel frowned.
Whoosh!
A whistling sound was heard, followed by a scream.
Aaaaaaaaagh!
The blood-soaked soldier, his shoulder pierced by sharp claws, disappeared into the darkness.
The scream, fading quickly, suddenly stopped.
And then again,
"S-save me... Gah..."
As if sensing something, a soldier stumbled backward, and his head flew into the air.
The soldier's head fell to the ground with a thud, like barley cut by a sickle.
Nothing could protect them in this darkness.
"..."
Hamel gritted his teeth in anger, but only for a moment.
Whoosh!
His body reacted before his mind could.
The instant a whistling sound grazed his ears, Hamel threw himself to the ground.
Crash!
Riteil's forepaw, striking down like lightning, slammed into the ground.
***
Riteil appeared from the cloud of dust.
Then, it licked its blood-soaked paw.
Fresh blood, seemingly just spilled, flowed down its tongue and into its throat.
"Th-the priest-nim..."
One of the knights muttered, stumbling backward. They had no chance of winning.
They had been able to hold out this long thanks to the unknown exorcist priest.
Now that he had fallen, if they wanted to live, they had to run now.
If the priest who had bought them some time was dead, it was clear that they would be next.
The knight struggled, weighing his honor against his life.
But the moment he met Riteil's yellow eyes, his mind went blank.
The beast grinned, seemingly enjoying the knight's anguish.
[Are you afraid of death?]
That was not an expression a mere animal could make.
It was an expression only those who toyed with other lives as if they were playthings could make.
The beast was indulging in the amusement that was once exclusive to humans, using the humans themselves as its playthings.
Goosebumps erupted on his back.
The knight almost dropped his weapon.
But at that moment,
Whoosh!
Azure flames erupted from Riteil's throat.
[...]
Riteil, startled by the unexpected pain, twisted its body.
At the same time, a figure rose from the dust-covered ground.
As he threw off his torn robe, the priest's attire was revealed.
Blue eyes like wildfire and silver hair drew everyone's attention.
The priest stood up, his body enveloped in azure flames.
"Were you lacking blood? Perhaps I should have cut off an arm and fed it to you."
He muttered regretfully, adjusting his blood-soaked sword.
Then, without hesitation, the priest closed the distance to Riteil.
The people watched in a daze, as if possessed.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Max]
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