Dark Fantasy: Magical Eye Knight – Chapter 158

Chapter 158: The Wind Blowing in the North (6)

 

A woman briskly walked through the wide corridor of the mansion. Three or four maids followed her, anxious and worried.

 

The castle of Zahard was very large and spacious, so there were many servants and maids to maintain and protect it.

 

The castle guards were also standing on the corners, their eyes shining as they watched for any possible intruders.

 

However, before the woman walked through the corridor, everyone bowed their heads and waists. It was proof that this woman was respected and feared inside the castle.

 

The beautiful woman had black hair and obsidian eyes. Though wrinkles had etched themselves around her eyes and mouth, no one would believe that she was a mother of three.

 

Her trained body was well-balanced, and the clothes she wore were practical, unlike the clothes of the nobles in the central government or the financial world. The clothing, made of a demon beast’s leather with high magic conductivity, emphasized protection and warmth and was as strong as armor itself.

 

The North was a place where cold weather and strange magical phenomena occurred all year round, and the strong people who were born and raised there were always prepared for emergencies.

 

“Where are they?”

 

“They’re in Lady Irrucil’s room right now.”

 

“I see.”

 

Her expression was cold and hard, and her steps were heavy as if she were angry.

 

The woman soon reached her destination. She opened the door and entered, and three people appeared before her.

 

One was her husband, Lahart, the head of a family that ruled the vast Zahard territory, and the other was their daughter, Irrucil, who was lying in bed. And next to her was a man who was more than a head taller than Lahart. Russell was there.

 

“It’s been a while, Mother.”

 

“. . . . . Yes.”

 

Russell bowed his head slightly first, and Leila nodded her head in greeting.

 

She walked straight across the room to the bed. Her daughter, Irrucil, was lying down there.

 

Leila reached out her trembling hand and touched Irrucil’s face.

 

“. . . . . .Why did this happen?”

 

A pale face and dry lips. Her breathing was even, and her chest rose and fell evenly. However, it was not normal for her to have been unconscious for more than three days.

 

Russell, seated on the right side of Irrucil, who was lying in bed, spoke.

 

“She was infiltrated by dark magic during a fight with an unidentified enemy.”

 

Lahart raised his head abruptly. He said it in a surprised voice.

 

“An unidentified enemy? And dark magic?”

 

“He was a sorcerer who wielded dark magic. He was skilled in magic and used a spell that allowed him to traverse space.”

 

Lahart mumbled.

 

“What kind? Did he form a covenant with the devil, or. . .”

 

“It is a form that condenses the resentment and fear that erupt when life is killed.”

 

“Resentment. How many? Can you guess?”

 

Russell thought back to that moment. With his own hands and arms, he forcibly twisted the dark magic that was trying to pierce Irrucil’s heart and changed its path.

 

At that time, the number of resentments inherent in dark magic was as many as a hundred. Even that was the number that had been purified by divine power, so it must have been greater originally.

 

The dark magic that had infiltrated Irrucil’s body was not all of his power, so it was certain that the man in the black robe had exploited hundreds or thousands of lives.

 

“It was a little less than a hundred.”

 

“A hundred resentments. It’s fortunate that she didn’t lose her body. If things had gone differently, she could have become a puppet.”

 

At that moment, Leila, who had been listening quietly, held Irrucil’s hand.

 

“Was she unconscious because of the residual thoughts?”

 

Leila swiftly deduced the reason for Irrucil’s lack of awakening. All the dark magic had been driven out, but the nerves and marrow it had injured and passed through were keeping her mind from waking up.

 

At this rate, the unconscious mind would turn the body into a vegetative state, and then it would become like a plant. I am unable to move except to breathe.

 

“To wake up, we needed mother’s power in addition to mine and father’s. My sister inherited the Aledma family’s manifestation ability.”

 

“I know. You. . . .”

 

Leila’s eyes met Russell’s. They hadn’t had much interaction except during meals or public events or even before that.

 

His appearance was handsome, resembling his father, but those eyes. Those purple eyes that didn’t shine brightly now, nor shimmer menacingly, made it difficult to meet his gaze for long.

 

And his words and actions, as if he was aware of the discomfort of the adults, were chilling in many ways. The little boy who had made her shudder with every word and action had grown up and was now looking down at her and her daughter.

 

When she saw that, Leila hardened her heart once more.

 

“Don’t worry, Mother.”

 

“What?”

 

“What you’re worried about won’t happen.”

 

Leila, who had been staring at Russell as if he were looking into her mind, turned her head.

 

“I’m glad you know.”

 

And Lahart, who was watching his wife and son like that, let out a deep sigh without realizing it. ‘Why was their relationship not getting any better, even though they had lived in the same house for over twenty years?’

 

Whum━

 

She held Irrucil’s hand and poured her magic power into it. Immediately, a reaction started to manifest.

 

“Hmm.”

 

Irrucil’s eyelids fluttered, and a small groan was heard as if she were moaning in her sleep.

 

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

 

The three demon-beasts turned their heads in surprise at the scream. At the same time, a young boy ran through the gap between the white trees that were standing upright.

 

He was taller and had more muscles than in the previous scene. Irrucil unknowingly realized that this was Russell at around the age of ten.

 

Then she would be 16 years old. If that were the case, there would be no reason for her to forget her current memories.

 

Whoosh!

 

The swirling snowstorm was getting stronger. Her younger self was the only one being pushed by the wind. The demon beasts, as well as the snow-covered trees, did not shake a single branch.

 

But this kind of cold couldn’t bring her down. Irrucil, alone in the blizzard with her black hair and black eyes, pushed off the ground and moved.

 

Crash!

 

The scaled wolf was the first to be attacked. The reason it failed to avoid the blade of Irrucil approaching from behind was because it was so focused on the boy Russell, who was running towards it.

 

The wolf, with its right hind leg cut off, jumped back on its three remaining legs. There was space, and the young Irrucil did not miss the gap.

 

The young Irrucil’s body moved flexibly. Her extended foot dug deep into the ground. The freezing magic power that had been standing on the ground was pushed away by the shockwave from the footfall.

 

Irrucil’s sword, which flew faster than an arrow, pierced the scaled wolf’s forehead. It was a kill made in the midst of a snowstorm that slowed her body and freezing magic power that tried to freeze her respiratory system every moment.

 

Krrr!

 

At that moment, the front paw of the crystal bear came down towards Irrucil, who was standing with her sword piercing the scaled wolf’s forehead. Realizing that there was no place to escape, she raised the shield on her left arm, and the impact struck.

 

“Ack!”

 

In one blow, the shield dented and twisted, and the bones of her left hand and wrist that were holding it were broken. Without even gritting her teeth at the pain of the broken bones, the white snake opened its large snout again and attacked the young Irrucil.

 

A cave filled with sharp white stalactites and stalagmites came rushing in with the darkness. Even though death was right in front of her, the young Irrucil was not afraid.

 

Thud!

 

The white snake’s snout closed just a hair’s breadth from the young Irrucil’s nose. Her hair flew back and then settled down. And the white snake, which had a bewildered look in its eyes, was sucked back in an instant.

 

Caw!

 

It was Russell who had grabbed the white snake’s tail with his bare hands. He had nonchalantly grabbed the monstrous snake, four times his size, and was now squeezing.

 

With a rattling sound, the white snake’s bones, muscles, and nerves were broken and torn at once.

 

KaaAAAAAA!

 

The scream echoed, then changed direction toward Russell. The snow-covered trees shattered as the white snake’s head and torso charged.

 

The monstrous snake had already assumed its characteristic movement to catch its prey, coiling around Russell, its white scales forming a barrier.

 

Puck!

 

However, one side of the coiled snake’s ring exploded, and Russell’s figure, who had jumped out of control, appeared from within. The white snake, whose middle part of its body had disappeared, collapsed, blood pouring from its mouth.

 

The crystal bear, which had been thrown away by the white snake’s charge, regained its posture and ran towards Irrucil, who was kneeling on one knee. The madness in its eyes flickered as it sought to eat humans and increase its power.

 

In fact, this was the case with all demon beasts and monsters that were born or mutated in the North. They ate intelligent beings and tried to raise their rank.

 

They instinctively knew that eating humans could increase their intelligence and power, which is why humans and the demon beasts of the North were incompatible beings.

 

She could see her younger self reaching out to the crystal bear that was running toward her. Compared to 10 years later, her hands were still young, not very hard, and not trained.

 

Nevertheless, she didn’t want to appear frightened in front of her younger brother, Russell. Even if it was just a scratch, she wanted to show her cool side as an older sister.

 

It was natural for her gaze to be drawn to Russell, who was running at full speed behind the crystal bear that was raising its large front paws high.

 

Her heart had always been towards Russell, ever since she first held him in her arms when she was about six years old.

 

She appreciated his small, wriggling hands and chubby cheeks. But what she liked the most were his eyes. Eyes are like amethyst, a sparkling jewel.

 

If you looked at it quietly, it held a magical power that you could not escape from. The servants and maids secretly feared Russell’s appearance and eyes, but she knew.

 

Russell deeply detested his own eyes and made significant efforts to control them.

 

He deeply considered his family.

 

Boom!

 

The crystal bear’s front paw dug into the poor ground. The young Irrucil’s body was nowhere to be found.

 

“If you were going to be left behind, you should have shot a flare. It took me a long time to find you.”

 

“You came. That’s all that matters.”

 

“What’s okay. . . Let’s not talk.”

 

The young Russell sighed and carefully lowered the little Irrucil. His gaze fell on her broken left hand and arm.

 

“Your left arm? Are you okay?”

 

“I can bear it. . . Ack.”

 

Irrucil, who had been speaking casually, groaned in pain and huddled up. The cold snowstorm was still ongoing at this moment, and snow was piling up on the ground.

 

Russell’s head and shoulders were also covered with white snow. However, Russell effortlessly brushed off the snow and promptly removed his cloak, covering the young Irrucil with it.

 

“Stay here.”

 

Russell quickly turned around and kicked the ground. The crystal bear, which had finally found the two of them, was running towards them again.

 

Young Irrucil, clutching the cloak, watched Russell charge towards the Crystal Bear, his back to her. Her vision was starting to blur.

 

She had been fighting the cold and moving her body for a long time, so her body temperature was dropping. The magic power that had been keeping her body temperature up had also been used for the surprise attack.

 

With her eyes wide open, Irrucil watched her younger brother fight.

 

The moment the crystal bear got close, it lowered its posture slightly and swung both fists. A lightning-fast blow hit the crystal bear’s jaw and neck, respectively. However, the crystal bear, which had gone berserk with magic power, took the blow and continued to charge.

 

In the midst of the crystal bear’s violent attacks that followed, Russell moved as if he were made of willow branches. His movements, which dodged every single claw in the middle of the swirling snowstorm, looked like a dance to the young Irrucil’s eyes.

 

Eventually, Russell’s fist swung again at the crystal bear, which was gasping for breath as it swung its arm to the fullest.

 

Thud, a low and heavy echo rang out. Russell was in the same position as when he swung his fist, and so was the crystal bear, which had been standing on two legs.

 

However, soon the crystal bear’s back burst open with a thud, scattering its skin, white fur, and red and black blood. Irrucil observed that it was a technique where she channeled her magic power into her fist and released it into the opponent’s body.

 

Young Irrucil hadn’t learned that technique until years later. But ten-year-old Russell had already mastered it.

 

‘I want to be stronger. . . a little stronger.’

 

So she could stand beside him.

 

Before she knew it, such a desire had sprung up in the young Irrucil’s heart. And when darkness came, she opened her eyes again.

 

“Mom?”

 

“Irrucil!”

 

Irrucil recognized that she was lying on a familiar ceiling and bed. She was surrounded by her father and mother.

 

“Where’s Russell?”

 

Leila’s eyebrows frowned at her daughter, who was looking for Russell as soon as she woke up.

 

“He left after witnessing your awakening. He’s just like he was when he was little—always a mystery—”

 

“Where is he?”

 

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