Dark Fantasy: Magical Eye Knight – Chapter 58

Chapter 58: Training

TL: Potato-tan

Proofreader: Asianpotato

 

A deep male voice spoke.

 

“Logos is dead.”

 

The darkness rippled like a storm-tossed sea. Such was the surprise.

 

“. . .Is that true?”

 

This time, it was a young woman’s voice. She trembled slightly, unable to hide her emotions.

 

“The connection I had planted in his servant has been severed. He couldn’t have cut it himself, so someone else must have done it.”

 

“Despite his defeat in battle against the Goddess of the Moon and subsequent fall, he remained a formidable demon. He must have been slowly recovering his body, but who would have interfered?”

 

Another voice spoke. This time it was a boy’s.

 

“I observed that two of the Church’s paladins were pursuing Logos’ servant.”

 

“Just two paladins?”

 

“Wasn’t Managarmar there too? The last apostle of the moon is no pushover.”

 

“Hmm. . . Even so, it doesn’t make sense. Two months ago, the attempt to awaken the dragon and devastate the northeastern region failed. He only managed to draw the attention of the Empire for a short while.”

 

The deep voice from earlier spoke again.

 

“Enough. What’s done is done. Let us each return to our duties. The thwarting of Logos’ resurrection is unfortunate, but that’s all that matters. The plan will continue, whether we have one less devil or one more devil.”

 

The shadowy figures in the darkness nodded their heads in agreement. Their plan was of the utmost importance.

 

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

 

“What do you plan to do now, Russell-nim?”

 

As they emerged from the cave, Hailyn asked Russell. He had been examining the altar and the chamber where the devil Logos had been. Russell replied,

 

“Well, I’m not sure.”

 

For now, he wanted to rest. Russell put Nahilnir away in his coat and called Final Frost. Once the devil vanished, Russell summoned the axe back into his hand, regaining its magic. Russell also put that away in his coat.

 

The canyon was in ruins, but the air was no longer thick with the devil’s mana. A cold mist no longer covered the ground.

 

The bodies of devils and demons were scattered here and there, but as always, nature and time would erode them.

 

“Let’s get out of here.”

 

“Understood. Jess, can you walk?”

 

I broke my arm, not my leg. . .I’ll be fine.”

 

Russell and his companions stretched their bodies and left the canyon.

 

Escorted by the wolves, Ulca retrieved the body of her mother, Managarmar. Ulca had not damaged the seal she had drawn, and her mother’s body remained intact within. At a glance, it looked as if she was simply sleeping.

 

As Ulca muttered something, Managarmar’s peaceful sleeping form shimmered slightly and turned into a small bead. In the night sky, it was as blue as the moon. She carefully wrapped the bead around her arms.

 

The group left the canyon and re-entered the forest. Ulca, trailing ahead of Russell, inquired,

 

“Are we going straight to the village?”

 

“No. To the house where my mother and I lived. . . It’s a bit of a walk, but is that okay?”

 

“It’s fine. Let’s go.”

 

They followed Ulca’s lead and walked confidently through the forest. Even in the winter, the forest showed signs of life after the devils and demons were gone. Animals that had been hiding somewhere ran through the winter forest.

 

Owls hooted, and owls flapped their wings. A snowshoe hare with snow-white fur hopped around, followed by a fox with the same white fur.

 

The sky had turned a fiery red. As the sunset in the west met the blue light rising in the east, the sky was filled with a brilliant purple.

 

Russell’s eyes, which were the same color as the sky, gradually noticed that the trees were standing in a strange pattern with a regular arrangement. His eyes, which could see the flow of mana, scanned the surroundings.

 

The trees, as well as the grass and flowers that only bloomed in winter, were the same. A strange moonlight mana enveloped the plants, bending them and creating special effects.

 

Russell’s eyes saw that it formed a kind of maze while also being a barrier that protected the forest and a shield that kept the demons away.

 

Soon, they arrived at a clearing that suddenly opened up. Trees surrounded the large clearing, creating a cozy atmosphere. A flower garden, trees, and a cozy plaster cottage stood in the center of the clearing.

 

Despite the winter, fragrant vines and other plants surrounded the house, and even the air was warm. Hailyn and Jess exclaimed in admiration, and Russell also looked surprised.

 

Since the cottage was not big enough for everyone to fit inside, they lit a bonfire in the yard.

 

The night in the forest came quickly, and stars twinkled above their heads.

 

They did not need to hunt. The wolves, who were skilled hunters, brought back a deer.

 

Ulca skillfully drained the deer’s blood. Ulca quickly roasted the deer, now a red lump of meat, over the bonfire after removing the inedible entrails and skinning it.

 

Everyone stared at the roasting deer meat, their mouths watering from hunger.

 

The warm air caused everyone to dress more lightly than before. Hailyn and Jess stacked their armor and weapons in a corner, and Russell took off his coat, wrapped the baby dragon in it, and laid it on the ground.

 

However, the baby dragon broke free from Russell’s side, opened its eyes sleepily, and burrowed back into his arms. With no choice, Russell held the baby dragon in one hand.

 

Hailyn, dressed in light clothing, heard Russell’s words.

 

“I guess you’ll be heading back now.”

 

“Ah, yes. I must return to the grand church. I must report on Herokeinin’s pursuit and extermination, as well as the devil’s resurrection prevention. Jess will also have his official appointment as a paladin.”

 

At those words, Jess raised his arm as if he were proud, then screamed. His broken bones had not yet fully healed.

 

The people around Jess burst into laughter at the sight of him.

 

Jess, who had been shedding tears from the pain, also laughed.

 

Hailyn wiped the smile off his face and said, with a serious expression,

 

“Russell-nim. Could you take a look at this?”

 

Hailyn removed a gold box and a broken red crystal from his arms. The crystal was a long hexagonal shape, with pointed ends at both the top and bottom. Russell saw at once that it was a container for storing mana and transforming it into something even more potent.

 

“What is this?”

 

“I found it in the chamber.It was inside the broken altar. It seems to have lost its power.”

 

He stated that the crystal had numerous chips and cracks. It appeared improbable that the crystal could revert to its original form. While looking at the crystal, Hailyn said,

 

“Herokeinin was originally a wizard. He wasn’t very good. He made potions with herbs and a little bit of magic in the village of Lampas and helped a little with catching monsters. But two months ago, he suddenly changed. He gained unimaginable mana and used evil spells to control monsters. The village of Lampas disappeared because of him.”

 

Hailyn clenched his fist.

 

“This crystal may be a clue as to how Herokeinin acquired such mana and spells. In fact, there are no other traces besides this.”

 

“Why are you showing it to me?”

 

In response to Russell’s question, Hailyn’s honest gaze turned towards him. It was a gaze filled with trust, faith, and even a hint of respect.

 

“Whether it’s God’s revelation or just my feeling, I don’t know. Russell-nim is an important person in this world. The situation is changing rapidly. I’ve heard that monsters that used to stay in mountains, valleys, and forest caves are attacking villages, and that there’s some strange movement in the north.”

 

Russell’s eyebrows twitched at the mention of the north, but Hailyn did not notice.

 

“Russell-nim has already defeated the dragon in Calisden and the devil in the Logos canyon. I believe that Russell-nim’s actions will become a milestone that will lead this world in a better direction.”

 

“. . . . . . That’s too much praise. I’m just a traveler.”

 

“That’s okay. Aren’t we all travelers sailing through the sea of life?”

 

Russell chuckled. Elenora, as well as this brother and sister, seemed to enjoy using difficult words.

 

“If something similar comes up, you want me to smash it?”

 

“If you could do that, there would be nothing more we could ask for. The church will support you.”

 

“Alright. I’ll meet you and see. If I don’t like it, I’ll do that.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Hailyn relaxed as if Russell’s words were enough. As he let go of his serious and solemn expression, Jess, who had been tense, also laughed.

 

“By the way, Hailyn-nim is still. . . . . . . .”

 

“Still what?”

 

“Still so serious.”

 

They engaged in trivial conversation while the meat was cooking. The scarred knight, the two paladins, and the one priestess enjoyed the delicious venison.

 

The next morning, they said their goodbyes as planned.

 

“Well, this is where we say goodbye.”

 

“Yes. It was an honor to fight alongside you, Russell-nim.”

 

“It was good to fight with you too.”

 

Jess also shook Russell’s hand and said carefully,

 

“I don’t know if they’ll believe me when I get back to the church. The idea of me hunting devils alongside the Dragonslayer and even a dragon seems unreal to me. That hatchling will grow up to be huge, won’t it?”

 

Russell chuckled. Russell wrapped the hatchling around his neck and shoulder, fast asleep.

 

“I don’t know. Maybe next time you’ll see it transform into a human.”

 

“I’d love to see that.”

 

The two Paladins also said their goodbyes to Ulca. Ulca gave them a wolf each. The wolves would guide them back to the village.

 

Hailyn and Jess used the wolves as guides and re-entered the forest.

 

Only Ulca, Russell, and the sleeping baby dragon remained. Russell said,

 

“If you have something to say, say it quickly. Don’t be so wishy-washy.”

 

“. . . . . .Are you mad?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Ulca took a deep breath and said,

 

“When will you leave?”

 

“Hmm.”

 

Russell tapped the sleeping baby dragon. Even though it had hatched from an egg, the baby dragon only ate, slept, ate again, and slept again. In his previous life, he had never raised a pet like a dog or cat, and it was the same in this life.

 

That’s why it was a bit difficult to leave right away. The hatchling’s scales were soft rather than hard.

 

Russell thought that it was probably because of his mana that the dragon, which had been so large when he faced the devil of the Ice Realm, had suddenly become so small.

 

When Russell struck the egg with a massive amount of lightning and mana, it awakened the dragon and made it grow large, but in the end, since it was Russell’s, it returned to its original small size after using up all of it. There was no other explanation.

 

Russell said,

 

“I don’t know. Why?”

 

“Then, will you grant me one request?”

 

“What request?”

 

“Make me strong.”

 

Russell looked at Ulca. Ulca was clenching her fists and looking down.

 

“I realized it this time. If I had been a little stronger, my mother wouldn’t have had to overexert herself and go to the goddess’s side so early.”

 

Russell shook his head. Managarmar had said to herself that she didn’t have much longer to live. Ulca was becoming too self-deprecating.

 

“That’s not true. You were strong enough.”

 

“I couldn’t even defeat you in the village. Even though you were at a disadvantage in every way,

 

“Well, that’s. . . . . .”

 

Russell swallowed his words, thinking that if it continued like this, it would never end. Then he simply nodded.

 

“Alright. I’ll help you.”

 

Managarmar had also made this request. This baby dragon was too young to survive the cold winter right away. He didn’t know how fast a dragon grew, but he would find out in time.

 

Ulca’s face brightened.

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes. You have talent.”

 

Russell thought back to when he had fought Ulca in the village. She had talent in martial arts. Despite her feminine figure, her muscles were firm, and above all, she had no hesitation in moving her body.

 

However, when she transformed into therianthropy, she was unable to use her mana effectively, wasting a significant amount of it. In Russell’s opinion, with just a little bit of adjustment, she would be able to become even stronger without transforming into therianthropy.

 

Not to mention when she transformed into a werewolf form through therianthropy.

 

“Let’s start today. Get ready. If you don’t do it right, I’ll spank your butt.”

 

Ulca’s cheeks turned red because of some reason.

 

“. . .R, Really? Okay,”

 

Russell briefly pondered whether he had made the incorrect punishment choice, but he had already spoken.

 

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

 

A lone rider galloped through the winter forest. The rider’s appearance was bizarre. The knight riding on the entirely bone-made horse held his head, which should have been on his shoulders, at his side.

 

It was the Dullahan. A week ago, he was the only one who had survived and escaped from the army of corpses that had attacked Russell and his companions. The Dullahans were not the only ones there.

 

━Kyaaaah!

 

A semi-transparent wraith flew after Dullahan, following him closely. The two undead, who seemed to be desperately fleeing from something, turned their gazes urgently to one side.

 

A gray figure ran through the black trees, emitting an amber light. She had long gray hair, a simple top, and short pants. She had a tail that matched the color of her hair, which protruded from her tailbone.

 

It was Ulca.

 

“Hup!”

 

Ulca ran across the snowfield, leaving almost no footprints. It was a sign that her mana control and footwork had reached a certain level.

 

With a yell, she spurred her horse, instantly catching up with the Dullahan and the wraith. The Dullahan decided that it was useless to run away and pulled on the reins to turn his horse around.

 

Clang!

 

The Dullahan’s drawn sword emitted an eerie glow. In the silent forest, Ulca and the Dullahan confronted each other, with the ancient trees as their audience. The wraith, which had stopped in mid-air, screamed hysterically. A cacophony of evil mana attacked Ulca.

 

“Kuaaaaaah!”

 

Ulca shouted back without stopping. The moonlight energy that burst from her combined with her shout, scattering the cacophony and striking the wraith.

 

As the wraith staggered, Dullahan kicked the horse’s flank and charged.

 

“Wooooooooo-!”

 

The Dullahan thrust out his own skull, let out a roar, and shot out a blue cold. Ulca dodged it with a light movement and took up a stance right in front of the approaching Dullahan.

 

“Huuuu. . .”

 

Ulca inhaled and exhaled once. She planted her right foot flat on the ground and stepped forward with her left foot to take a large step.

 

Thud━ The unstoppable momentum’s force rose from her knees to her waist, from her waist to her back, and from her back to her shoulders.

 

The sensation of her own hands guiding and drawing out her mana came back to life. Her body’s mana circuits flared up fiercely, and clean mana raced through the channels without a single impurity.

 

The power that reached her shoulders accelerated with the addition of mana. The power surged from her shoulders to her elbows, wrists, and tightly clenched fists. The ultimate goal is to gather all the generated force into a single point without any spillage.

 

Ulca’s fist replicated the shock.

 

Kwaang!

 

With a tremendous roar, the ultimate point that extended from Ulca’s fist swallowed up the Dullahan and his skeleton horse with compressed force and mana. The attack caught the Dullahan, preventing him from even screaming, and caused it to shatter into pieces.

 

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