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𝐄𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬, 𝐃𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬, 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐬 (4)
Is it really possible for one person to defeat a monstrous giant in a contest of strength?
Most would likely say no. If Sir Lauren were here, he may have claimed ‘𝘕𝘢𝘺, 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭’𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳!’ but now he lay defeated. . .
Blood gushed forth.
The elven knights were shocked and rushed to assist Johan. They thought it was Johan’s blood.
However, it was not Johan’s blood but the basilisk’s that flowed out. Its blood scorched the earth and gave off a foul stench.
“. . .!!!”
The onlookers were stunned. Johan had grasped the basilisk’s tail with powerful arms, and blood poured from between his clenched fists. Its scales were torn and muscles ripped apart as it thrashed violently.
Johan tore through the monster’s tough muscle with the strength of his grip. A fierce pulse could be felt at his fingertips. Still focused, Johan uttered through gritted teeth.
“. . .would you mind lending a hand?”
“Y-Yes! We apologize!!”
It was then that people finally came to their senses. The chaotic place was quickly brought under control. The dwarves aimed their ballistas towards the hole. They were determined to pierce and nail it down if it got dragged out a bit more.
The elf knights tightly bound their spears before mercilessly stabbing the exposed basilisk’s tail. Every time they stabbed, sounds of rupture and screams burst out.
“It’s struggling! Don’t let your guard down!”
Even though more than five spears had pierced it, the basilisk’s movements did not stop. The dwarves waved their hands and shouted. Those damn elves were just getting in the way without even catching their breath.
“Get out of the way! You elf b*stards!”
𝐓𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐜𝐤!
An even bigger sound than before rang out as a large heavy arrow pierced its body. Still, the basilisk moved. Its vitality was truly astonishing.
“How. . . How can this be?”
“You guys borrow that kind of device and still can’t catch it!”
Now it was the elf knights’ turn to criticize. Johan wanted to tell everyone to shut their traps, but he couldn’t because he was so focused.
The basilisk had been dragged out about halfway, but somehow its strength still overflowed vigorously. Johan had the advantage in strength, but as the b*stard kept enduring, fatigue began to accumulate in his muscles.
It was then that the spirit sleeping inside Johan moved. Strength returned to his tired muscles, and ferocity wrapped around his fingertips. Johan’s pupils shone vibrantly like those of a beast.
At first, he thought his body had fully recovered. However, Johan realized that wasn’t it. His fingertips felt rugged and thicker, like a dragon’s claws.
“What. . .?!”
What flashed through Johan’s mind at that moment was Gulrak, the barbarian of the Black Forest. The wizard who knew the mysteries of the forest and could transform into a bear.
The spirit was trying to transform Johan like that now.
‘𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣*𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘥. . .?’
Johan soon realized why. He had taken off his metal armor to enter the basilisk’s den, and had even thrown aside the Giant Slayer.
With the restraint removed and he was facing a strong enemy empty-handed, the spirit was delighted.
‘𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸!’
But Johan strongly rejected it. Some wizards took pride in showing off their skills by transforming into all sorts of things, but Johan had no interest in that. Besides, he was more afraid of missing this opportunity by transforming incorrectly now.
The spirit, Teshuka, gave up on transforming Johan after being rejected and withdrew inside. Thanks to that, Johan’s strength recovered and he pulled the basilisk out with all his might. As if its spirit was completely broken, the basilisk began to get dragged out limply.
━■■■■!
As if trying to resist one final time, the basilisk violently thrashed its body. Johan tightly embraced the upper part of its dragged out body and started squeezing with all his might.
𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤!
The sound of bones breaking rang out. It abruptly went limp after struggling, and could no longer move. After making sure its breath was cut off, Johan released his hands. He had grabbed it so strongly that his fingers pierced through its scales and skin into its muscles.
A roar of cheers erupted after a brief silence. It was the cheers of those who had witnessed this unbelievable miracle before their eyes.
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
“Is your body okay? Tell me right away if there’s anything strange. Don’t hide it for no reason.”
“I’m completely fine.”
While others were cleaning up, Johan was resting. He had borrowed the power of spirits to catch the beast, so his fatigue was no joke.
Suetlg was worried about Johan who had engaged in close combat with the basilisk. He was concerned whether he had been exposed to its venom or gaze.
Fortunately though, Johan was unharmed. Other than the heavy fatigue, there were no injuries.
“Sir Lauren.”
“I sincerely thank you for saving me, Your Excellency.”
Lauren entered the tent politely. He had bandages wrapped around the area where he had been injured when kidnapped by the basilisk.
“Why are you walking around instead of resting if you’re injured?”
“Wounds like these are trivial for a knight. I didn’t think I was hurt by that old dwarf, but when I opened my eyes, it turned out to be painful.”
Lauren murmured as he touched his bruised areas. Lauren had been completely unharmed when he was abducted as prey by the cunning basilisk. He had even been looking for a chance to escape.
‘. . .𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦.’
Johan realized the area Lauren had bandaged was where he had struck.
“If Your Excellency hadn’t come, I would have died with that old dwarf.”
“That dwarf was a boy.”
“. . .Really?! No wonder he was shaking in fear. . .”
“I hope you didn’t insult him in that situation.”
Hearing Johan’s words, Lauren scoffed.
“I don’t bother insulting those weaker than me. I was thinking of escaping together with him.”
‘𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘤𝘩, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯.’
However, surprisingly, Lauren’s words were true. The rescued young dwarf spoke favorably of Lauren. Thanks to this, the dwarves no longer glared and even slightly thanked Lauren.
“Not insulting the weak is natural for a knight. You guys may not know, but. . .”
“. . . . . .”
“Alright, that’s enough nonsense.”
Seeing the dwarves with expressions like ‘𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣*𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘥,’ Johan shut the elf’s mouth.
In the meantime, the dwarf workers skillfully butchered the basilisk. Its scales and skin were stripped and its meat was chopped up. Only its shattered bones remained, making it look eerie.
‘𝘑𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘢 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥.’
She was excitedly bossing the workers around after being told to take anything necessary or useful. While the basilisk’s heart was famous, other parts weren’t useless either.
“It’s unfortunate its eyes didn’t remain, it would have been nice.”
“Who could have known things would turn out like this.”
Its gaze was one of the most powerful magical reagents, but there was little hope left after its head was blown off.
When the organizing was mostly finished, elves carrying a heavy chest came looking for Johan. It was painted without gaps, and magical energy could even be felt from it. Johan knew well what was inside.
“Did you safely collect the heart?”
“Yes, Your Excellency. But we decided the rights to this heart belong to Your Excellency.”
The elven knights all nodded as if in agreement. Count Puakonyu stepped forward as representative.
“Count. We offer this heart in respect of the valor and honor the count has shown. It is only fitting the count should receive this rightful spoil of war.”
“. . .No. Since I didn’t catch it with my strength alone, the honor should be shared.”
Johan declined. It wasn’t because he really thought that way, but out of respect for the elven knights’ dignity.
Of course, the elven knights weren’t petty enough to resent Johan over a single heart, but thinking about the future, it was better to yield this heart.
Johan had fully realized what kind of power fame and honor held. For that power, he could yield the basilisk heart.
“But still. . .”
“No. . .”
“Of course but. . .”
“However. . .”
After the tedious conversation, the elven knights accepted the heart. They swore they would make sure the knight’s name who obtained this heart would be known.
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
“Count Yeats. Basilisk hunting! Recorded in grace!”
The party started their descent with the farewell of the dwarves. It was the opposite of when they had climbed up.
The nobles of the Alliance were surprised to hear that Johan had hunted basilisks with the elf knights.
“Why didn’t you call me??
“Why do you think? The elves must have been jealous.”
The nobles asked and answered their own questions. Since there was no need to deny it, Johan did not say much.
In the first place, wasn’t it because he didn’t want to take them again and moved like lightning with a minimum number of people?
‘𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘴𝘩*𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘺𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯.’
“At least we have some spoils that won’t hurt our dignity too much.”
One of the nobles said in a relieved voice. Having set out to subdue the monster and then being surrounded on the mountain, the embarrassment was not ordinary, but now there was a chance to rectify that.
The basilisk’s skin and bones would serve as proof that the expedition was successful. The byproducts of the evil monster had a more intense power than any evidence or testimony.
“If the nobles hadn’t come forward to fight, how could I have brought down the basilisk? It’s all thanks to you.”
“???“
Those with even a little conscience or brains were bewildered by Johan’s words, but the nobles readily accepted Johan’s consideration. It was shameless, but their embarrassment had been that deep.
Johan didn’t really care if he said he caught the basilisk alone or if several people caught it together. As long as this made the nobles touched and shut up for a while, anything was fine.
Despite securing the heart, the elf knights did not leave immediately. They joined Johan’s party and came down to the city.
“Why come down to the city instead of going straight to the kingdom?”
“There is no hurry and no benefit to crossing the mountain range for no reason. Especially with such a treasure.”
Many dangers lay dormant in the Dwarf Mountains. From monsters and tribes to natural disasters. For the elf knights who had to offer the basilisk’s heart, crossing the mountain range was an unnecessary risk they did not have to take.
Johan suddenly remembered and said to the elf knights.
“Oh right. Don’t insult the nobles about the basilisk hunt when you get to the city.”
“. . . . . .”
“. . . . . .”
Seeing the embarrassed expressions of the elf knights, Johan realized what the elves were about to say. Johan had just prevented a near swordfight from happening in the city.
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
“Your excellency. I thought I should come directly to inform you of this!”
Before the returning procession had even passed through the city gates, Adviko stopped them along with the servants.
Johan, who had wanted to rest comfortably in the city, looked at Adviko with displeased eyes and asked,
“What is it? Did an assassination happen? Or is someone plotting a rebellion?”
Neither seemed very likely. While there may have been attempts to assassinate Adviko, that was something Adviko would have to deal with himself. . .
After all that chaos, there shouldn’t be any more fools plotting something.
However, Adviko’s pale face did not return. He carefully said,
“Your excellency. . . I’ve received reports that Cardirian has achieved a great victory in the south. . .”
“. . .?!?!”
It was news that shocked his tired mind awake. Johan asked in disbelief,
“What did you say? Didn’t Cardirian’s forces get bogged down in the south?”
“Y-Yes, I thought so too. . .”
“What about the intelligence? It could just be a rumor.”
“I-I wish it were just a rumor, but from hearing it from several places, it doesn’t seem to be false information.”
With his forces unable to suppress the southern rebellion and other feudal lords now pointing their spears at the emperor. . .
Given that even the Elf King had brought troops to intervene, retreating north seemed to be Cardirian’s only option.
And yet, victory? Could he really have overturned that disadvantageous situation and won?