Chapter 76

The centipede was fast as it had multiple legs. In addition, it was originally poisonous, so it could be seen emitting a light green fog-like poison in all directions.

‘Uniform, damn it. Uniform. Uniform.’

Nina shed tears as she recalled the long coat in her mind. She doesn’t have to be cautious of that poison if she’s just wearing her uniform.

The centipede, which had already grasped its surroundings soon began to move as if it had a set target.

The centipede’s head was about the size of Nina’s arms linked together in a circle.

And since it was an advanced centipede bellac, it had a long and smooth shiny black body, a red head with scythe-like fangs, and long yellow legs.

“Winter! The one that freezes everything it touches!”

Nina chanted and drew her sword. Immediately, thousands of the centipede’s feet froze on the ground and stopped.

However, it’s only for a moment as the centipede soon took its frozen foot off the ground.

‘It looks extremely durable and strong unlike its size.’

It should be above Grade A.

Nina squeezed her sword. It’s an open fight, so she doesn’t want to expose too much of her power. Or at least, she has no intention of using the Sun Spirit.

“What are you planning to do?”

“When did you come?”

When Nina spoke bluntly, Benzel frowned and spoke in a low voice,  repressing his anger as much as he could.

“It’s spitting poison around so it’ll be hard to get close. Even if you approach it······.”

“Forget it. Keep your nose out of the way. Don’t hold me back.”

“You—”

Nina stormed out of the ground, ignoring Benzel who raised his voice with a maddened face.

“Northwind! The fierce wind that blows everything!”   

A white breeze blew out. At that moment, the poison around the centipede faded, its joints froze, and its speed slowed.

Nina dug inside and swung her sword. Then the centipede’s tail swung and attacked her.

“Dame Nina!”

Benzel raised his voice.

‘I know, you don’t have to shout!’

Nina swung her body in the air, and the sword flickered with the sunlight.

‘Sigh, you pretended you’re frozen and slowed down?’

The centipede shot poison, aiming at the moment her posture was disturbed until it landed on the ground.

“Winter Shield!”

A thin sheet of ice formed in front of her to stop the poison. The frozen poison fell to the floor with a heavy sound. At the same time, Nina landed placidly.

‘It’s not just your ordinary bellac either.’

Where and who’s controlling it?

Is it the pagan she saw earlier?

She knew from reading the novel that the pagans were opening gaps in the settlement’s barriers but it was the first time she learned they could control bellacs.

Nina took a deep breath and exhaled.

‘Good.’

Northwind covered her body and Nina’s speed increased rapidly. Her speed became much faster than Centipede’s reaction speed.

“Urkchaaaaa!”

A slender sword with bright light was drawn at an invisible speed. The centipede’s body was cut in half and green fluid flowed out.

“Wow!”

The onlookers yelled with joy. Nina was dumbfounded.

‘You didn’t run away, and are watching instead?’

It was something that only the people in the city who didn’t know a bellac’s true power would do. Nina swung her sword once and all the body fluid sticking around it flew off. She raised her hand to stop Benzel from approaching.

Merely this won’t kill a Grade-A Bellac.

‘As expected.’

The two bodies began to move separately. Screams broke out once again. The bodies moved in different directions and the part where the head is was more agile.

As Nina ran towards the head, Benzel moved vice versa. She rushed in and cut the head in a diagonal line.

“Kieeck!”

As the centipede’s howl fell, she heard a human scream with her sharp ears at the same time among the crowd.

Sneaking a sideways glance at the crowd, Nina looked at Benzel. The body comparatively slowed down as the head died.

Benzel swung his bayonet and carved the centipede’s lower body vertically, completely stopping its movement.

The cross-section of the giant bug was revealed intact.

‘Oops, oops.’

If Jean – who hates bugs – had only seen it, he would’ve been spouting all kinds of swear words by now.

‘It’s a good thing that Jean is not here.’

Nina looked around with that thought.

Everyone was looking her way, swallowing their saliva, wondering, “Is it over?” or “Did she get hurt?”

Without any hesitation, Nina let out a small, “Yay,” and raised her sword.

If the crowd is watching, the best you can do is to harmonize with them.

Shouts poured out when she made a clear winning pose.

“Wow!!”

“Nina!”

“Nina La Dell!”

“Dark Knights! The Dark Knights!”

Nina smiled happily at the sound of cheering and chanting.

She can already hear the Dark Knight’s fame rise increasingly.

The situation was handed over to the guards who ran over – and as soon as the guards saw Nina’s pigtails, they saluted, saying, ‘Dame Nina.’ – Nina sighed as she looked at the impenetrable wall of people.

‘How do I get through this? I can’t even check because of all the screaming.’

Perhaps she should make a reasonable exit.

“Well, I’m busy, so I have to take my leave now.”

Nina jumped beautifully with Northwind around her arms and legs and climbed to the roof of a building.

Everyone shouted, wow, and she pretended to go over a few roofs, then came back under a nearby building and loosened her hair.

‘I should’ve brought a hat.’

How do I go back from here?

Nina was still fumbling about the way back when she suddenly turned her eyes while saying, “Wow, that scared me.”

Jack stood in the dark with his arms folded. Nina spat out.

“Nice timing, right?”

“What is that again?”

“Umm, I said it’s good I arrived at the right time, ma’am.”

(Note: Jack spoke informally at first that’s why Nina made him repeat it again.)

“I thought you wanted to kick up a fuss.”

Jack smirked and took off his cloak and handed it to her. Nina pressed down the cape on her head and asked.

“We can’t go back to the square, can we?”

“Why?”

“I heard a scream.”

“You won’t be able to sleep all night if you’re going to look for a person who screamed there.”

“That’s not it······.”

Nina frowned and explained.

“I saw a pagan. And as soon as I did, a bellac came out. What’s more, is was not moving normally.”

Jack opened his finger to block her words and asked.

“You saw a pagan?”

“Yes.”

“How did you distinguish him?”

“He’s wearing a strange necklace······. Can I explain this a little later?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

With a suspicious look, he listened to Nina’s next words.

“That’s why I was wondering if they were being manipulated. There wasn’t a scream while I’m fighting the bellac except the moment I killed it.”

When Nina finished talking, Jack cupped his chin and said.

“So you think the bellac and the pagan are connected. That’s why you want to see if he actually died because of it. Is that it?”

“Yes.”

Jack shrugged his shoulders.

“I’ll check it out.”

“Can you?”

“That’s how it works. Besides, even if you wear that hood and go back to the square, they’ll find you in less than a second.”

“I suppose so.”

It is rather more suspicious to wear a hoodie.

He added with a grin.

“Besides, I think you have a baggage with you right now······.”

“What? Huh? Oh······.”

Jack disappeared into the dark as Nina stretched her shoulders.

“Don’t cheat with the master.”

“What?”

Nina spoke vaguely to the dark.

‘How do people disappear like that? That’s interesting.’

It might turn out that Jack is also a spirit contractor who signed a contract with The Dark.

‘Then, could Adrian also disappear like that? Well, it’s not impossible because he has The Darkness and The Shadow spirits.’

Thinking about it, Nina leaned against the rough wall while she was tapping the floor with her heel. It wasn’t long before she heard the loud sound of footsteps.

“Dame Nina.”

When Benzel saw her, who was wearing a hoodie, he hurriedly approached her with long strides, delighted.

“How did you know I was here?”

“I can figure out that much.”

He replied as if it was nothing and asked.

“Will you not participate in the investigation?”

“The Duke of Louverne’s Knight Commander, investigating with the capital guards? You must be kidding.”

“But you said the culprit was a pagan. How did you find out?”

“Isn’t your letter more suspicious?”

Benzel’s complexion darkened.

“Back there, the bellac that came out of the square. That’s at least a Grade A.”