Dark Fantasy: Magical Eye Knight – Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Ghouls (2)

TL: Potato-tan

Proofreader: Asianpotato

Corpses do not decay easily in winter. If it had been summer, they would have already emitted a terrible stench and attracted flies, but now it was winter. And it was a long winter, for they were near the north.

A couple hours had passed since Russell and the middle age man had left. Now, several wolves were circling the place. However, they were not there to eat the corpses.

The wolves sniffed the air and looked back and forth between the broken carriage and the corpses of the humans and ghouls. It was as if they were detectives conducting an investigation.

With their blunt front paws, the wolves pushed the corpses and tilted their heads as they looked at the frozen pieces of the ghouls.

Soon, they perked up their ears and looked at one side of the road. Then they quickly ran off into the forest.

After the wolves disappeared into the trees, two people appeared.

Both of them were riding white horses and wearing white plate armor that resembled the horses. They covered their backs with cloaks.

A golden glow surrounded the plate armor, giving it a luxurious appearance at first glance. A light pattern appeared in the center of the breastplate.

The horses’ saddles held a large shield and a longsword. Similarly, they had white backgrounds with golden borders and light patterns engraved on them.

The two men, who wore black hoods under their armor and wrapped them around their heads, got off their horses and began examining the carriage and the corpses.

With his thick, gloved hand, the larger of the two picked up a piece of a ghoul that had fallen to the floor.

The other one made a sign of the cross in front of the neatly arranged corpses and prayed for their souls.

“Jess. Come here.”

“Oh, yes! Hailyn-nim!”

The individual known as Jess sprinted towards Hailyn, the bulky paladin clutching the ghoul’s fragment. The church’s apprentice paladins gave Hailyn the nickname ‘Heavy Hailyn’.

His height and size might have seemed to fit the nickname, but it actually came from Hailyn’s serious and deep voice.

“Look at this.”

Jess walked to Hailyn and received the piece of the ghoul that he held out.

“It’s a piece of a ghoul’s body.”

“Anything else?”

“Oh, something else. Um. It’s hard, frozen, scattered here and there.”

Hailyn sighed.

“Jess. I’ve told you this many times, but broaden your perspective. Consider the reasons behind the ghouls’ presence, their demise, and their frozen state.

Jess thought desperately. ‘Heavy Hailyn’ was as serious and dignified as his voice suggested, and he did not like jokes or lighthearted remarks. He had to answer correctly here. Otherwise, they might not choose him as a full paladin this time, and he would remain an apprentice.

“Um. First of all, it seems certain that the demon worshiper we are pursuing, Herokeinin, is somewhere near here. The church’s gathered information also supports this theory. Regarding the manner in which the ghouls met their demise,

While holding the cold piece of ghoul in his palm, Jess looked around.

“There were five of them in total, and it seems like they were up against one person. They were riding a horse and had a sharp blade. All of them stood frozen in this position. Could it be because of the winter? The winters in the north are always harsher than in other places.”

Hailyn nodded, but he did not look completely satisfied. He said.

“It’s good that you figured out the part about Herokeinin, and that the person who killed the ghouls was alone. However, there were not five ghouls.”

“Excuse me?”

“Look over there.”

Hailyn pointed his finger at the trees. The last ghoul lay dead, its upper body cut off. Three trees had fallen in front of it.

“According to the traces left on the body, it was a blade, but not a sword. It was closer to an ax. The frozen state implies that it possesses the ability to utilize cold-related magic. I don’t know if it cut them and then froze them, or the other way around.”

“A wizard who uses cold magic and an ax. . .”

Jess thought for a moment and then shook his head.

“I have no idea.”

“Me neither. However, if they were able to kill six ghouls by themselves, they must be a great wizard and a warrior. Maybe we can get some help from them.”

“Do we really need help? Herokeinin is just a coward who ran away without daring to face the church. I think the two of us will be enough.”

“Do not overestimate your abilities, Jess. Herokeinin is not an ordinary demon worshipper. Three or four paladins and priests surrounded him, yet he managed to survive. He must have suffered fatal wounds, though.”

Hailyn looked over the other ghouls’ bodies before finally approaching the broken carriage and the human corpses.

He looked straight across the road from the corpses. There were two adult-sized footprints and a child’s small footprint. There were also horse hoof prints.

Somewhere along the way, the footprints changed to those of one person and a horse.

“The people in the carriage are not all dead. At least two of them survived. One is a child, and the other is a man, judging by the size of his stride. Maybe it was a father and son.”

Jess looked at Hailyn with admiration. No matter how much he looked, he could only see things scattered around. But how did Hailyn infer such things?

“The man who killed the ghouls must have put the two people on his horse and walked himself. He is a kind man.”

“I think so. It’s rare to see someone like this.”

“Hmm.”

He narrowed his eyes at the haphazardly stamped footprints in the white snow as he stared at the corpses and the ground where they lay.

“The wolves came too.”

Jess also approached and found the same footprints. Jess said.

“Aren’t they wolves that we often see in the forest? Were they trying to eat the corpses?”

“If that were the case, they would have appeared when we arrived. They would not have left footprints like this.”

“That’s true. Umm. . . what could it be?”

“I don’t know that either. Jess, gather the corpses.”

“Yes, sir.”

With divine power, the two paladins placed a white flame on the horses and the human corpses. The white flames burned warmly, gradually turning what they held into golden ashes that rose into the sky.

It was a consideration to keep beasts from eating the corpses of those who had died.

When Hailyn took off his hood, Jess also took off his.

When he took off his hood, Hailyn’s face was handsome. He had golden hair, blue eyes, and strong features.

Jess had a youthful face with dark brown hair, light eyes, and a beard that was just starting to grow.

Each of them bowed their heads to the burning flames and made the sign of the cross.

“May you enter the Lutheon Hall.”

Soon, the two paladins put their hoods back on and got on their horses.

“They did not leave this place long ago. Maybe two hours at most. If we hurry, we might be able to catch up to them. Is there a village ahead?”

Yes, there is a village named Logos. It appears to have been named after the nearby valley, Logos Valley.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

The two Paladins spurred their horses. Their cloaks fluttered noisily in the wind.

The sound of powerful horse hooves faded away, and the place where they had left became quiet again. Only the white flames that burned the corpses crackled.

Soon, the flames died out, as the corpses turned completely to ash and rose into the sky with the wind. The wolves that had disappeared reappeared.

The wolves quietly observed the traces, then turned around and ran into the forest. To deliver news to their friends.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

The blue sky gradually became cloudy. It seemed like it would snow soon.

Arnold and Ethan had been wearing thick clothes and cloaks since they got out of the carriage. The wind that blew through the branches and trees was as cold and sharp as a knife.

Ethan shivered in his father’s arms with a red nose and cheeks, as did Arnold.

Ethan looked at Russell, who was walking leisurely ahead of their horse, Kry, with suspicious eyes.

In the mind of the young boy, this uncle named Russell was very suspicious.

Not only had he defeated those terribly scary monsters without any weapons, but he was also walking in this winter-like weather with just a coat on.

He and his father were freezing to death. A child can’t help but be curious.

“Aren’t you cold?”

“Hmm?”

When Russell looked back, Ethan was looking at him, his red nose sniffling.

“Why? Do I appear cold?”

“Yes. You’re only wearing a coat. How did you kill those monsters?”

Ethan asked the next question without waiting for an answer to the first one. It was a child-like question, and Russell laughed.

“Why are you laughing?”

“No. It’s just. You remind me of my younger siblings.”

“Younger siblings?”

“Yes.”

“Are they similar to me?”

“No. However, they would be older than you. When they were your age, they would also ask questions like this.”

Arnold, who had been anxiously watching the conversation between his son and Russell, secretly sighed in relief when Russell accepted it well.

In fact, he had thought that Russell would dislike the child or find him bothersome since he had not said a word while walking.

Russell, on the other hand, frequently accepted the child’s questions and had a variety of conversations with him.

Ethan had quickly forgotten the questions he had asked at first and boasted about being the boss of his neighborhood in the village, how he ran the fastest in hide-and-seek in the valley behind the village, and how he had two girls who liked him.

Russell smiled wryly and said,

“Ethan, let me give you a piece of advice. Love fights are dangerous.”

“What are love fights?”

“Fight over love.”

Ethan tilted his head.

“Why? Isn’t it a good thing?”

“No, kid. You will understand when you grow up.”

“I’m already all grown up!”

“Later, when you really grow up, you will want to say the opposite.”

Russell, who had been having a pleasant conversation, suddenly stopped. Kry also stopped right away, and Arnold and Ethan looked at Russell with puzzled eyes. Arnold said.

“Why did you stop?”

“Uncle?”

Russell did not answer. Something had caught his keen senses. There was a lot of movement far behind them.

When he listened closely, it was the sound of something running on four legs. It was heavy and fast.

Russell walked behind Kry and enhanced his eyesight with magic to look through the trees. His field of vision expanded in an instant, and he could see several monsters running through the forest.

“They’re ghouls. There are quite a few of them. They’re coming straight this way.”

“What?! H, how many are there?”

“Around a dozen or so.”

Arnold was startled, and Ethan hiccuped. The terrible time from just a few hours ago came to the father and son’s minds. Just six of them had killed armed mercenaries. But dozens?

“D, Dad!”

“Easy. Calm down, Ethan. Russell-nim, what should we do?”

For a moment, Arnold had the thought that Russell might leave them and ride off on his own horse. After all, Russell was an outsider and had no reason to care about their lives.

Russell, on the other hand, did not say anything or make any such moves.

“You said the village is not far from here, right?”

“Yes? Oh, yes! If we go straight ahead for ten more minutes, or if we run, we can get there in less than five minutes.”

“Then go ahead first. I’ll follow you.”

Arnold was momentarily dazed but then exclaimed after realizing what Russell had said.

“Wait, wait a minute. Are you saying you will stay here and kill those monsters?”

“Yes.”

Russell answered right away, and Arnold hesitated for a moment.

“Won’t it be dangerous? Of course, I do not doubt Russell-nim’s abilities, but if there are dozens of monsters. . .”

“It’s okay. The ghouls are evil monsters. It’s better to kill them when you can.”

After saying that, Russell took the bag that was hanging on the saddle and put it on his shoulder. He patted Kry’s flank.

“Go on ahead.”

Kry seemed to understand, nodded, and neighed. Ethan, who had been chattering away earlier, shut his mouth and looked at Russell as if his earlier words had been a lie. His eyes were filled with tears.

Russell said it calmly.

“If the two of you stay here, you will only get in the way. Kry can easily carry three people on his back and run, but his speed will definitely slow down. The ghouls will catch up right away. Those bastards are as mobile as wolves. Then, everyone except me will die. Do not worry, and go.”

“Uncle.”

Russell ruffled Ethan’s hair as he called out to him. He then looked straight at Arnold. His gaze seemed to ask if he should protect his son.

Arnold looked into Russell’s eyes. And he remembered hearing a passing rumor about a man with purple eyes in a restaurant a few days ago.

“By any chance, are you. . .”

Russell did not wait and slapped Kry’s rump. Kry let out a long cry and began to run. Arnold was surprised by the horse’s sudden running and had no choice but to hold the reins tightly.

Ethan looked away from his father’s arms. He could see the figure of a man standing in the white winter forest, among the dark trees.

The coat with the silver pattern fluttered quietly in the wind, but its owner did not move.

Russell stood as a vertical black line in the center of the white sky and ground, as firm and dignified as a pine tree.

Soon, the ghouls arrived. They still had their disgusting appearance.

Russell removed the ax from his coat pocket once more. The single-piece metal body and blade of the white ax dispersed the frost.

“Caw!”

The one running in the lead charged toward Russell. The sharp claws on its right arm swung around.

Russell’s ax swung through the air, splintering ice and cutting off the ghoul’s right arm.

The ghoul’s head popped up in surprise at its shortened arm. Russell’s ax had once again swung horizontally.

The risen head became a chunk of ice in the air before falling to the ground.

Crack. Thud.

There was the sound of a head breaking, as well as the sound of a ghoul falling forward with an empty shoulder.

Russell got into a stance, expecting the ghouls to charge at him like before. However, the ghouls did not move.

The ferocious cries and the four-part mouths that had been opening and closing quietly stopped and stared at Russell.

Then, one of the dozens of ghouls slowly raised its body. It glared at Russell with its shining eyes.

Russell, who felt an alien magic power from its gaze, lowered the ax blade and rested his chin on the handle. He said.

“Well, if I kill the puppy, the owner should come out.”

As if to prove his words, the ghoul that had stood up made a gurgling sound, and its body changed.

The four-part mouth retracted into its face, and its bent legs straightened and stepped on the ground with two feet.

As it raised its upper body, its previously hunched back straightened, transforming into a monster taller than Russell.

The monster’s mouth, torn sideways, opened. Its teeth, as sharp as a shark’s, protruded. The monster spoke in a voice that sounded like gravel scraping on the dirt floor.

“Who are you?”

“Russell.”

The monster looked at him with incredulous eyes.

“Do you think I will know if you say that?”

Russell smirked and put the ax handle on his shoulder.

“It doesn’t matter if you know or not. We will kill each other anyway, so what’s the point?”

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