Dark Fantasy: Magical Eye Knight – Chapter 161

Chapter 161: Zahard Territory (3)

TL: Potato-tan

 

‘Elf?’

 

It wasn’t an ordinary elf. The skin that was slightly visible under the hood had a dark color close to purple. A skin color different from other elves with white skin. It was a dark elf.

 

He had a bit of a connection with dark elves. The one who ran the smithy where he bought the claymore in a city called Calisden was a dark elf woman, and he had also met her older sister and fought monsters together.

 

That was already nine months ago. Since then, he hadn’t met any other elves after meeting ordinary elves in Errandis territory. However, it was strange to see a dark elf, not just any elf, in this far north.

 

The elf that Russell’s gaze fell upon turned its head as if it had sensed something. The direction was exactly where Russell was standing. Although the hood was covering its face, it didn’t matter to Russell, and he could see the face inside.

 

‘Not her.’

 

Although it had a elf-like appearance, it wasn’t a face he knew. On top of that, the dark elf was a man.

 

He looked around with an anxious expression and quickly turned around to hide in the crowd. It was a quick movement as if he was being chased by someone. Even Russell would have missed it if he hadn’t paid attention.

 

It wasn’t just the man’s movements, but the faint mana that was rippling around his body that made it easier for him to blend into the crowd and divert attention. He wondered if he was using magic or had an artifact.

 

“Russell? What are you looking at?”

 

“. . .Nothing.”

 

At Aellasis’s question, Russell turned his head forward again. It was true that dark elves were harder to see than ordinary elves, but that didn’t mean they shouldn’t be here.

 

There would be one or two who wandered or roamed like that. Although his movements were a bit suspicious, it wasn’t something he should be concerned about.

 

As they walked down the artisan street, the place Irrucil guided them to was a fairly large smithy. The inverted V-shaped signboard had the shape of a mold and a hammer engraved on it, and below it was the name ‘Shadow of Steel’.

 

In front of such a smithy, Irrucil greeted someone and beckoned Aellasis.

 

“Aella, come here for a moment. I think I need to take your measurements.”

 

“Okay!”

 

As if they were going to make a custom-made product, Irrucil took out a measuring tape and began to measure the upper body of Aellasis here and there.

 

Calia looked around the place while Aellasis stood with her arms outstretched, picking up each of the daggers and longswords that were lined up. Her eyes sparkled unusually.

 

With her fingers tapping the blades, her face was filled with admiration and curiosity.

 

“Compared to my time, this is incomparable. To think that weapons fit for a king to receive are displayed so casually in this alley.”

 

“You must have been interested in weapons.”

 

“I couldn’t help it. My kingdom was ravaged by war at the time. The quality of the weapons and armor that I had to give to the knights and soldiers couldn’t be garbage.”

 

Indeed, the time when Calia lived was over 800 years ago. It was natural that the technology of blacksmithing had developed more now than then.

 

Calia’s eyes, which had been looking around the display, stopped for a moment. What she was looking at was a gauntlet that wrapped around the hand and wrist as one piece.

 

It was divided into dozens of parts, allowing for freedom and easy movement when bending the fingers, back of the hand, and wrist. Russell could feel the mana flowing faintly from the surface of the gauntlet.

 

“This is a bit strange. The magic conductivity is high. It seems like it’s not just a lump of iron, but a magic metal. . . I think it’s allodhium.”

 

“Allodhium?”

 

“It’s a rare and valuable magic metal used in alchemy. However, it was an expensive metal to use in weapons. Its structure didn’t fit well when combined with other steel. If the heat was too high, one side would melt, and it was also difficult to adjust the strength, elasticity, and ductility. Unless it was made by a very skilled blacksmith, most of them couldn’t even maintain their shape properly, so only kings like me or knights who had proven their strength could possess such weapons. Its characteristic is that it has a high magic conductivity, which makes it excellent for casting magic or mana. It was also one of the metals used to decorate the ends of wizards’ staffs.”

 

Russell looked at the shiny armor, swords, and shields displayed in the showcase with a ‘so that’s how it is’ look. Even to his eyes, it seemed that the mana absorption rate was higher than other weapons.

 

“You have a discerning eye, miss.”

 

Just then, someone came out to the place where the showcase was with a cheerful voice. It was an old man who seemed to have been hammering away at the forge until now, as his face was flushed red. Calia pointed her finger at herself and asked back.

 

“Miss?”

 

“Is there another miss here?”

 

“No, it’s just that it’s been a long time since I’ve heard that title. It’s refreshing. Who are you?”

 

“That’s a strange way of speaking. I’m Philos. I run this smithy.”

 

The old man who identified himself as Philos limped over and stood in front of the armor and weapons in the showcase that Calia was looking at.

 

“I see you’re a wizard, but how did you know it was allodhium right away? Even ordinary wizards just think it’s a magic metal and pass it by.”

 

“I can’t help but know when I see the characteristics that appear when allodhium and steel are combined. First, when the two metals are mixed and solidified, a wave-like pattern occurs, and when viewed in the light, it has a faint blue tint. And. . .”

 

“Oh, you know quite a lot!”

 

Russell took a step back and looked around the interior of the smithy. It was spacious as if they hadn’t received any other customers besides him and his party. However, the display cases for displaying dozens of weapons were placed in a way that didn’t interfere with the flow of people, and the walls and ceiling were covered with breastplates, full armor, greaves, and boots, giving it a rather full feeling.

 

“Russell, we’re done here.”

 

“Huh?”

 

When Russell looked back, Irrucil was bringing Aellasis with her. Aellasis was already wearing a set of armor. The armor had very thin chainmail woven tightly on the inside, and on the outside were metal decorations with sharp, arrowhead-like tips to deflect blows.

 

It covered the chest, back, shoulders, and abdomen, but it didn’t seem to be uncomfortable to move in. As Aellasis swung her arms, the employee spoke with a proud voice.

 

“Fortunately, we had something that was close in size. This is an armor forged with the latest blacksmithing techniques developed in our smithy. You can tighten or loosen it with the drawstrings on the inside, so you’ll be able to adjust the size even if your body gets bigger or smaller later on.”

 

“Does it feel okay?”

 

“Yeah! It’s light, and my arms move well.”

 

At Russell’s question, Aellasis nodded her head vigorously. Calia, who had been having a heated discussion about metal nearby, also approached and said.

 

“It suits you well.”

 

“Calia, do you need one?”

 

“It’s okay. I can always recover whenever I have blood. Physical blows don’t do much to me.”

 

Calia shook her head. As she said, she was wearing a tunic, vest, jacket, and pants that she had created with her own magic. Her clothes were like her own flesh, so even if they were torn or ripped, she could restore them to their original state with a simple gesture.

 

Russell nodded, recalling how she had turned her body into blood and then back again when fighting the warriors of Odys two days ago.

 

“Then I guess we’ll just buy this armor.”

 

As they paid and came out, the employee and Philos came out to see them off.

 

“Thank you! Please come again!”

 

“It was nice talking to you, miss!”

 

Their faces were full of smiles, thanks to the expensive armor they had sold. Irrucil said beside me.

 

“I was going to buy it for you.”

 

“It’s okay. I have a lot of money.”

 

He still had a lot of gold coins he had received from the Lord of Calisden, and he hadn’t even touched the gold coins he had received from the Lord of Errandis.

 

As they were about to go to where they had tied up their horses, a loud noise and the sound of people screaming came from one side of the market.

 

“Aaaack!”

 

“What, what’s going on?”

 

“M, Monster!”

 

A woman’s scream, a voice that couldn’t figure out the situation, and the voices of others shouting ‘monster’. In an instant, the streets, alleys, and squares filled with people turned into chaos, and people began to run away.

 

Russell immediately jumped up and jumped onto the building right next to him. With his incredible jumping power, Russell landed on the roof of the three-story building and immediately concentrated his mana in his eyes.

 

His pupils glowed, activating his magic eyes, and his vision changed as if he were wearing sunglasses. The distant streets were pulled closer like a string.

 

“What is that?”

 

What Russell found was a monster whose entire body had turned black as if it were made of shadows and was emitting black smoke. It had just popped out of an alley and had grabbed one of the people in front of it and swallowed it whole.

 

To be exact, it didn’t swallow it with its mouth, but rather shoved the person into its chest. Then, the chest and abdomen were split vertically into a long, thin line, and it changed into a mouth with countless teeth on the left and right, swallowing the person.

 

The black monster, which had eaten one person, rippled and distorted its shape before splitting into two. Russell’s expression immediately became serious.

 

He had never heard of a monster that could increase its numbers in that way. It wasn’t like normal monsters or demon beasts that reproduced, but it ate people and split in two.

 

“Damn.”

 

Kwaang!

 

Euaaaak!

 

Just then, a loud noise and a scream came from another direction. It was the restaurant street, and there too, a black monster had appeared and was causing a commotion.

 

Chaos spread, and people were screaming and running away in droves. Soldiers in scale armor and helmets, holding spears, quickly gathered and confronted the monster.

 

However, the black monster’s power was too strong. Soldiers whose shields were smashed, along with their arms and torsos, crashed into shops and hid inside, or were crushed on the ground.

 

“Don’t back down! We are the proud soldiers of Zahard! Protect the people!”

 

“Uwaaaaah!”

 

The captain of the guards seemed to be holding up the attacks of the black monsters by raising his sword high.

 

“. . .Russell.”

 

The party members, who had climbed up to the same place as him, looked at the city with hardened expressions.

 

“Calia. Do you know what that is?”

 

“I don’t know either. . . I’ve never seen a monster with that kind of form. However, it’s definitely not a normal biological structure. It has no blood at all.”

 

“Huh? What’s that?”

 

Just then, Aellasis pointed to a spot. Russell also turned his gaze in that direction and saw an elf running.

 

“That guy. . .”

 

On closer inspection, the elf was carrying a censer that was spewing out thick black smoke. The elf looked around and then reached into the censer and pulled out a lump of fog.

 

Then, he threw the lump of fog at a tramp who was lying on the corner of the alley.

 

The homeless man, with a bushy beard and a bald head, who was leaning against the wall, stared blankly at the elf who had suddenly appeared, then suddenly grabbed his face.

 

The lump of fog thrown at the homeless man had entered his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. He screamed, clutching his face, and then stopped moving.

 

And then, his skin soon turned black and his body grew larger, transforming into a monster.

 

“. . . . . .That’s how they’re made.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

Russell quickly told them what he had seen. Calia’s expression hardened when she heard the words ‘censer spewing black smoke’.

 

“The breath of Nemesto. . . Then that monster is a necrol. . . Why does that elf have that devil’s censer?”

 

“Do you know what it is?”

 

“. . . . . .Originally, it wasn’t meant to be used for such a purpose. For now, our priority is to capture those necrols and that elf. If we continue like this, everyone in the territory will turn into monsters.”

 

“Alright.”

 

Irrucil said with a pale face. Russell nodded as well.

 

“We have to split up and catch the monsters. I’ll go after the elf, so you guys take care of the rest of the monsters.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Okay.”

 

As Russell was about to leave, Irrucil grabbed his arm. When Russell turned his head, it was Irrucil.

 

“. . . . . .Please.”

 

“I know. It’s the place where I was born and raised.”

 

Russell squeezed Irrucil’s hand tightly, then quickly pulled it away and jumped to the roof of another building. And then, he landed in front of the black monsters, the necrols, who had already swallowed and split into dozens of people.

 

As Russell’s feet hit the solid, stone-paved floor, a wave of mana passed through the necrols.

 

Grrrrrr.

 

The monsters stared at Russell, letting out an unknown growl from their mouths on their chests.

 

“I guess they can’t speak.”

 

Russell pulled out Nahilnir from inside his coat and turned his body to the right, dodging the outstretched arm of a monster.

 

The monster had just stretched out its arm slowly, as if it were catching a prey that couldn’t run away or just stood there waiting for death, like it had done before.

 

When the monster’s attack missed by a small margin and looked at Russell blankly, Nahilnir made a full turn, slashing through its arm.

 

The necrol was bewildered by the distorted sense of vision. The diagonal vision came closer to the ground and then darkened.

 

In an instant, the monster, which he didn’t know if it was of the same race or a clone, died, but the other necrols didn’t show much commotion. There was no emotion felt from the monsters.

 

Russell didn’t give the monsters time to react. After cutting the first one’s neck, he moved relentlessly, reducing the number of monsters.

 

As three more died, the necrols finally began to move their large bodies and attack Russell.

 

However, the necrols, who were almost 2 meters tall, interfered with each other’s movements and couldn’t even show proper teamwork.

 

Even in the midst of all this, Russell dodged the attacks that were flying from all directions with the same small margin as before. As if he had eyes on the back of his head, Russell flicked away the sharp claws that were flying towards his back without even looking and immediately swung Nahilnir to cut off the wrist.

 

Grrrrrr!

 

The monster let out a strange scream as Nahilnir pierced its chest and came out the other side. The necrol, whose mouth was torn open, fell to the ground and turned into dust with a thud.

 

The obsidian sword began to draw relentless lines.

 

In broad daylight, the people who had been running away looked at the place where Russell and the monsters were fighting with blank faces. Severed arms and legs flew around, and monsters with their necks or waists cut off turned into countless dust and piled up into black sand.

 

Sparks flew from the stone-paved floor where Nahilnir had scratched, and the stalls that had been placed in the vicinity collapsed and shattered.

 

Russell was fighting with minimal movement, not releasing any mana. The only thing moving was his body.

 

His heart pounded, sending blood throughout his body, and his muscles, contracting and relaxing according to his will, swung his arms and legs at a speed invisible to ordinary people.

 

Grrrrrr. . . . . .

 

Soon, the last remaining necrol grabbed Nahilnir, which was stuck in its chest, with both hands and shook its head. And then, it disappeared with a thud.

 

“Phew.”

 

Russell, who had pulled out his greatsword, turned his head after meeting the gazes of those who were looking at him blankly.

 

He could see a dark elf man staring at him from the other side of the alley.

 

“Hic.”

 

The dark elf, who had hiccuped, disappeared at the same time that Russell kicked the ground.

 

Translator’s Blog

Blog

• Scrolling Through Reddit: “My dog got into the Chinese take-out before I did”
• Is Ramen Overrated Because of Naruto? A Ramen-Loving Anime Fan’s Take
• Navigating the Digital Dojo: How to Deal with Your “That” Uncle and Auntie on Facebook
• Eren Yeager vs. Gundam: Who Would Win in a Titan-Sized Showdown?
• That Cringey Anime Obsessed Kid In Your Class: A Guide to Not Being That Guy (Or Gal)