Dark Fantasy: Magical Eye Knight – Chapter 81

Chapter 81: Things That Must Be Done (1)

Irrucil loved her little brother, but she didn’t understand him. Even as a child, he had an odd air about him.

Uncharacteristically intelligent words and actions for his age had made him a subject of great curiosity. It all started with his birth. Her father had disappeared for a week when she was six, and when he returned, he carried a newborn baby in his arms.

Irrucil could still remember the first time she saw the baby. In the freezing cold of winter, the baby slept soundly, wrapped in swaddling clothes.

“Can I hold him?” Irrucil had asked. Her father had brought the baby to her.

The baby was lighter and warmer than she had expected. Six-year-old Irrucil had fumbled with the baby in her arms. His cheeks were rosy, and his tiny hands had chubby little knuckles. Irrucil had placed her own, much smaller hand next to his. The baby’s tiny fingers had curled around her index finger.

That was when the baby opened his eyes.

Looking into those brilliant purple eyes and feeling the grip of his hand on her finger, Irrucil knew, even at that young age, that she would never forget this moment.

The baby had started crying the moment he saw her, as if he had seen something terrible.

Later, as she grew up with her little brother, Russell, and shared various adventures and misadventures with him, a wish bloomed deep in her heart. I wish to be together with this child for a long time.

And now she lay on the small bed of a room in an unknown village, in an unnamed inn.

Irrucil chuckled as she thought of the letter she had left at home. Her father had probably guessed. Her mother was the only problem, but she didn’t care.

She had already completed the succession ceremony and assumed the role of the family’s head. Her younger siblings were still young. Her biggest rival was Russell, but he had no interest in becoming the head of the family and had left home altogether. Her mother’s knights probably sanctioned this escapade, judging from the fact that they hadn’t pursued her.

All that remained was to meet her beloved little brother and take him back home. Well, maybe not right away. Spring had just begun, and winter was still a long way off.

Traveling alone was boring and tedious, but if she were with him, she might be able to endure it.

“I miss you.”

For a moment, Irrucil was startled. Then she realized that the words she had just uttered were her own. Had her deepest feelings escaped her without her knowledge.

“I miss you.”

Irrucil said it again, then closed her eyes. Darkness enveloped her. In the darkness, she remembered a pair of eyes.

It had been too long since she had seen those purple eyes. She could hear the soft sound of rain hitting the ground through the walls.

A thin mist shrouded the world when she woke up. The rain that had fallen all night had created a thick white mist.

Irrucil packed her things and went downstairs to the lobby. The lobby was empty. She could not see the mercenaries she had argued with, whether they had left or were still in their rooms.

The maid, who was still half asleep, was scrubbing the floor when she saw Irrucil come down to the lobby and hurriedly wipe her face.

“Oh, good morning. Did you sleep well last night?”

“Yes, thank you. Is breakfast ready?”

“Of course! I’ll prepare it right away.”

The maid disappeared into the kitchen, and Irrucil sat down at the same table as yesterday, her bag next to her.

It was chilly in the morning, but she had come from the colder north. In fact, she felt rather warm. Just then, another person came down the stairs. It was the man who had spoken to Irrucil first yesterday—a man who appeared to be a traveler or an adventurer.

He approached Irrucil, who was sitting alone in the lobby, with a cheerful expression.

“Good morning. You’re up early.”

“Yes.”

Despite his intention to discourage conversation, the man remained unfazed and proceeded to sit down at the table next to Irrucil. He also ordered breakfast.

Soon, the table was laden with a hot, just-boiled stew, bacon, and boiled eggs. As she had done yesterday, Irrucil quickly finished her breakfast. The man, who had been watching her, also hurriedly finished his breakfast.

As Irrucil rose from her seat, the innkeeper and the maid, who had been in the kitchen all this time, came out to see her off.

A single gold coin, which one might see only once in several years, was enough to warrant their attention. Besides, the commotion that nearly erupted yesterday had passed without incident.

“The food was good.”

“Yes! Have a good day!”

Irrucil took the reins that the maid handed her, attached her bag to the side of the saddle, and left the inn. Just then, the man, with a trace of gravy on his lips, hurriedly followed her.

“My gosh, you’re a very fast eater.”

“What?”

“Oh, I’m also headed south. Someone has reported the discovery of a dungeon or ruin in the southern territory. I won’t know for sure until I get closer.”

“So you’re going to follow me?”

“Isn’t it dangerous to travel alone? Of course, based on what I saw yesterday, you appear to be more than capable of taking care of yourself. Still, wouldn’t it be better to have someone to talk to? I can cook a little, and I’m not bad with a knife. Oh, and I’m pretty good at reading the terrain.”

Irrucil looked at the man who was introducing himself. Yesterday, she only glanced at him and forgot his face as soon as she looked away.

Shiny blond hair and blue eyes. His features were as rare as her own black hair. Furthermore, his face was not unattractive, and if he adjusted his speech and behavior, he could convincingly claim to be the offspring of a noble family.

And compared to his meek retreat yesterday, he was now making his offer with a natural flow. However, Irrucil could see tiny beads of sweat running down the man’s forehead and the nape of his neck. ‘Was he nervous?’

At his last words, Irrucil felt her heart stir slightly.

In truth, she was not very good at reading maps or following directions. She didn’t have poor vision, but when she began to walk, she frequently found herself in a different location than what the map indicated.

The last small village she visited was one she discovered after wandering around in circles. If she hadn’t found the village yesterday, her starving horse would have collapsed from hunger.

Irrucil said,

“I can’t say no if we’re going in the same direction. Do as you like. But try to keep the talking to a minimum.”

The man looked satisfied with that alone.

“Oh, I understand. My name is Farrells.”

“Irrucil.”

The air was filled with the smell of rain and cold morning air. A forest blocked the way south of the village.

The forest was quite large, and it would take a long time to go around it, so Irrucil and Farrells entered.

There were paths through the forest. Whether created by animals or humans, long-traveled paths left faint traces behind.

“This way. There’s a path here.”

‘Not bad.’

Irrucil thought that her decision to let Farrells follow her was not a bad one. For one thing, it wouldn’t have been unusual for her to become lost and roam the forest. She was also beginning to realize that she needed a guide.

The dark forest was barely visible. The sun had risen, but thin clouds still lingered in the sky, and the branches and leaves of the trees in the forest formed a dense canopy overhead.

The damp forest floor, thanks to the rain that had fallen all night, gave off a strong smell of rain and grass every time they stepped on it. A thin white mist floated in the air.

The sight of the white mist, like a veil, swirling around the trees was almost dreamlike.

Reality came suddenly in the form of three arrows. Farrells screamed in surprise as an arrow grazed his cheek and fell to the ground, and Irrucil, with lightning-fast reflexes, drew her sword from her waist and deflected the arrow.

However, an arrow struck the horse in the head. The horse let out a final neigh and collapsed to its knees. Then it died. Irrucil looked down at the horse that had collapsed beside her, then turned her gaze to the mist. It was a cold gaze.

“You’re better than I thought. To deflect a crossbow arrow.”

“Well, the more difficult the prey, the greater the sense of accomplishment when you catch it, don’t you agree? Captain?”

“Indeed.”

The men who appeared as they spoke were the ruffians from yesterday’s inn. All eight of the burly men were armed, and three of them were carrying crossbows. One of the men with a crossbow slapped another man on the back of his head.

“Hey, you idiot, can’t you even hit one?!”

“Damn it, the fog is so thick; what do you want me to do?!”

“I hit one!”

“Isn’t it obvious that a horse is bigger than a man, you idiot?”

It was a conversation that revealed the level of the ruffians. The ruffians’ captain, who had spoken first, grimaced and turned around to shout.

“Can’t you see I’m talking here? Shut up!”

The men shut up. Then, Irrucil spoke.

“What’s this about?”

“What’s this about? We’re here to collect compensation for breaking my underling’s hand.”

One of the thugs, with his hand bandaged, was grinning from behind. He held a large knife in his other hand, and the man she had hit yesterday was standing next to him.

“And? That’s not all, is it?”

“Of course, we’ll also take your body and money. We couldn’t sleep at night because of you.”

The captain’s face, as he spoke, showed undisguised malice and greed. Irrucil asked,

“Why didn’t you attack me at the inn?”

“It would have been a hassle. We don’t want to be chased by the patrol. Look at this forest.”

The captain spread his arms as if to embrace the forest.

“If one of us disappeared here, no one would know. Our men were starving on our last mission. Despite my initial plan to loosen our belts as soon as we reached the city, the early arrival of a beautiful woman has made this week exceptionally fortunate.

Farrells, who had been lying face down until now, stood up and shouted, unable to hide his anger.

“That’s outrageous! How can you say such things and still call yourselves humans?”

“That’s why we can do such things because we’re humans. Are you an idiot?”

The thugs suddenly called Farrells an idiot, so he drew his sword. The blade gleamed with a cold blue light, indicating that it had been well maintained.

“I’ll assist you, Irrucil. Together, we can survive.”

“No need.”

“Irrucil!”

Irrucil, ignoring Farrells, walked forward with her sword drawn. As she approached them, the thugs, who were sometimes mercenaries and sometimes thugs, smiled wickedly, almost defenseless.

“Don’t hurt her face. As for her limbs, well, it doesn’t matter if she has them or not.”

“I’d rather not have them.”

“Me too.”

Farrells’ face turned pale at the gruesome conversation, but Irrucil didn’t blink an eye. The captain made a gesture to his men, who had loaded their crossbows.

The men aimed their crossbows at Irrucil’s limbs. The men pulled the triggers with a loud twang, releasing the arrows from the taut strings. Irrucil did not block the arrows. In an instant, she disappeared with a whoosh.

“What?”

One of the thugs, who had not understood the situation, had his body cut diagonally in half. With a loud thud, a huge amount of blood splattered into the air.

“What the hell! Where did she go?”

“Get together! Hey! I said, Get together!”

The seven remaining thugs hurriedly tried to gather around each other. Just then, something in the white mist grabbed one of the thugs and dragged him away.

“Aghhh!”

The mercenary, who had let out a final scream, disappeared into the mist. There was a tearing sound. It resembled the sound of torn leather.

And with that sound, a gruesome scream erupted, then stopped abruptly.

The thugs saw something dripping from the spot where their comrade had been dragged away. It was blood that the rain-soaked ground couldn’t absorb.

The captain looked around with an expression of disbelief. The mist that had hidden their bodies and helped them launch a surprise attack was now their enemy, closing in on them.

The beautiful woman they had thought of as prey was now a predator, hunting them down in terror. She didn’t kill them with a single blow.

The death was slow and agonizing, seemingly intended to instill despair. The screams alone were like torture. However, because of the white mist, they could not see how they were dying.

All they could hear were the sounds of tearing, snapping, and gruesome crushing, and those sounds echoed in their heads, amplified.

And then the captain realized that he was the only one left. One by one, his men had disappeared, leaving him as the last. Only one sentence kept repeating itself in his mind.

‘Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. . .’

He was right to be screwed.

The captain thought of the thought that everyone has when they are on the verge of an irreversible precipice: ‘When did things start to go wrong?’ But in such cases, it is usually the path one has taken in life that comes into play.

The captain’s body trembled. Something had risen from the ground and pierced him. It was chains. These were not physical chains, but chains crafted from magical power.

“Arghhhhh!”

The chains pierced only places that avoided vital organs. With terrified eyes, the captain examined the chains wrapped around his arms and legs.

Soon, he was hanging in the air. Before him, looking like a stuffed insect, stood Irrucil.

“P, p, please. . . . . . I was wrong. . . . . . .”

Irrucil did not listen, and he tightened the chains. A gruesome sound rang out, and the lump of meat that had once been a man fell to the ground.

Farrells watched it all, trembling. Red tinted the mist. The air was quiet. Even the chirping of insects was silent.

Irrucil lifted her bag from the dead horse’s saddle and slung it over her shoulder. Then she closed the horse’s eyes. In that gesture, Farrells sensed an indescribable feeling.

It was a strange sight, like a carnivore that had eaten its own kind letting go of a young herbivore.

“Where do we go from here?”

Her voice was calm. Farrells swallowed once, then pointed in one direction.

“If you go that way, you’ll be there.”

“Lead the way.”

“I, I understand.”

Farrells walked along the path, feeling like he had a horrible monster behind him.

Only pieces of flesh and red blood remained in the place they had left. Soon, insects and wild animals, attracted by the smell of blood, came and enjoyed an unexpected feast. And all this happened quietly but busily in the mist that had not yet cleared.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

The news that Russell had awakened spread quickly through the castle. Everyone in the lord’s castle knew that this man, who had not woken up for over two weeks, was the one who had saved the territory.

Evelyn, Remeron, and Phel, who had been waiting for him to wake up, came to visit him. Evelyn pretended not to, but her eyes were a little red.

“Oh, come on. You woke up too late. Do you know how much trouble I had with my aunt and the elders to stop them from sealing you up?”

“Thank you.”

Remeron took his hand and said, “Blessedly,”

“Hey, I’m glad you’re awake. Oh, here, take this.”

Remeron presented Russell with a coat. Russell took the coat and put it on. A familiar sensation returned. The coat’s inner pocket worked without a hitch, as did Nahilnir and Final Frost inside.

“I was the first to notice that the black veil that covered you had disappeared. The black veil lay neatly folded on your chest. I kept it before anyone else could see it.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem.”

Phel, who was not yet that close to Russell, said a few words of thanks and went outside with Aellasis.

Aellasis had said that she had hardly eaten since Russell had fallen, so she was going out to eat. The two of them seemed to get along quite well after drinking together at the Black Barley Inn.

Lord Ramon Errandis had spent the past two weeks feverishly sorting out the situation in the territory and urging its people. Immediately, they held a funeral and a festival, and the event was nearing its conclusion.

The Lord wanted to publicly announce Russell as the savior of the territory, but Russell refused. “Why bother now that the celebration was over?” The lord thought for a moment and then said.

“I see. But won’t you rest in the castle? You’re not going to leave right away, are you?”

No, he wasn’t. He needed to improve the quality and quantity of his magic power, which had increased after the battle. In addition, he had to think about the conversation with the unknown being he had met in the dark space, the Abyss, his eyes, and the red orb. And what about his body’s condition, which had been stretched for two weeks? There was a lot to do.

“I’m glad. Take your time and rest. I have things to tell you about this incident, as well as things I want to give you personally.”

“I understand.”

Suddenly, Russell saw an unmistakable look of fatigue on the old lord’s face.

Translator’s Blog