Chapter 128: The Calamity of the South (3)

Chapter 128: The Calamity of the South (3)

“You... you bastard!!”

Unbecoming of a prince, Luon cursed at Karyl before reaching for the sword at his waist.

Thunk—!

However, he didn’t manage to fully unsheathe his sword.

“...!”

To his surprise, Karyl had effortlessly sped past the knights and pushed his sword back into its scabbard with a single finger.

“Wha... What is this?!”

Despite his desperate efforts, Luon couldn’t move his sword at all, causing him to shout in a panic, “You fucking...!!”

In that split second, Azif jumped between the prince and Karyl. He was the only one among the knights to react.

Clang—!

With all his might, he swung his sword upward, distancing the two.

“Identify yourself! Under whose authority do you dare act with such insolence?”

Azif infused his sword with mana, the blade crackling with lightning energy.

“Ohh...!” Karyl exclaimed lightly as he gazed at Azif’s sword. “The prowess of your Mana Blade is impressive. I’ve heard you’ve reached the pinnacle of the Sword Expert rank. One could even say you’re the strongest knight within the empire, apart from Belin Vallention and Kuwell MacGovern, you are the strongest knight in the empire.”

Azif’s face stiffened at Karyl’s words.

One didn’t simply observe his sword like that, completely unfazed. Moreover, he had an army of seventy thousand soldiers at his disposal. Not even a Sword Master would be so reckless, and yet this enigmatic boy seemed to enjoy this standoff.

“Running away with such power? From a mere Minotaur? Though it’s an S-rank monster, I’m not sure there’s a dungeon out there that can’t be conquered with seventy thousand troops.”

Karyl’s assertion wasn’t wrong.

“It seems that the Imperial Guard doesn’t live up to its reputation. I wonder if Kuwell MacGovern would have done the same?”

Karyl’s derisive remarks managed to get Azif to snap.

“Shut up!!”

With his composure shattered, and unable to bear Kuwell’s name being mentioned so carelessly, Azif charged at Karyl.

Zzzt...!!

Azif’s sword glowed bright yellow, emitting a searing heat as sparks flew from it. Bending like a bow, he swung his sword in a downward arc, aiming precisely at Karyl.

However, Karyl evaded by stepping back, and the sword struck the ground with a thunderous crash.

Thud—!!

Clang—!

Karyl kicked the sword embedded in the ground with all his might, causing Azif to stagger.

“Ugh!”

But being a skilled knight, Azif managed to keep his balance, and he used the momentum to swing his sword once more.

However, Karyl instantly closed the gap.

“...!!”

Before Azif could react, Karyl unsheathed his sword and thrust it forward.

First Step: Crown Posture.

Karyl could have slashed Azif’s chest right then and there, but he instead pulled back his sword and clenched his fist for a brief second before opening it and slamming his palm into Azif’s chest.

BANG!

The shockwave between them produced a deafening sound.

As Azif staggered back, the electrical energy from his blade dissipated with a crackling sound, almost as if it was oxidizing.

Did he block my sword...?

It had been an all-out attack, and yet Karyl seemed completely at ease.

Who is he...?

Azif had never felt this kind of overwhelming aura, not even from Sword Masters like Kuwell MacGovern or Belin Vallention. It almost felt like...inhuman.

Azif instinctively realized the danger posed by the opponent before him.

“Ca...Catch him!!” Luon shouted desperately as the distance between them widened.

The knights guarding him all charged at Karyl at the same time.

“Graaa!!”

“Aaaah!!”

Though not as skilled as Azif, the knights following Luon were among the elite of the Golden Knights, and they were all confident in their individual abilities.

Moreover, there were thirty of them at the scene. Even a Sword Master would find it challenging to face all of them at once.”

Has something happened?

Amidst the battle, Aben had no means to confirm what the situation was with the imperial army.

GHROAAAA!!

Following the monstrous roar, Abe’s field of view darkened. Looking up, he saw an axe descending upon him like a guillotine.

CLANG!

With a thunderous sound, the surrounding soldiers were flung away. Falling off his horse and rolling on the ground, Aben quickly grabbed at the earth and desperately shouted, “Fuck!! What the hell is Marze doing?! Why is this thing here?!”

Aben glanced at the approaching Minotaur, but turning his head, he saw Marze fighting another Minotaur at the dungeon’s entrance.

Two S-rank monsters at once...?!

At first glance, the dungeon's entrance appeared to be just one, but monsters were respawning simultaneously from two holes connected like a passage.

It was the worst possible scenario.

They didn’t even have enough knights to handle one Minotaur, so facing two was sheer madness.

“Damn! What about the castle’s forces?!” Aben shouted, seeing the left flank decimated by the axe-wielding Minotaur.

“They’re not here yet...”

“Save me!”

“Aaaah!”

People panicked and ran for their lives as the monster reached the main camp. Soldiers and civilians scattered chaotically, unable to maintain formation.

It’s going to get dangerous if it continues like this...

Discarding his broken command baton, Aben drew his sword.

If it comes to the worst, I will...

Though not as formidable as Marze, he was still the captain of the knights. Despite retiring from the front lines, he was among the few warriors out there who could buy time against a Minotaur.

Then it happened.

BANG!

A brigade pierced through the rear of the monster horde a sharp awl. With tremendous penetrating power, the troops charged hundreds of meters, quickly reaching the inner area where the Minotaur was.

Who are they...?

Aben was bewildered by the sudden appearance of those troops. Not even a knight order could clear monsters this fast.

“...!”

But then, one person caught his eye.

Is that... Princess Viola?

He recalled attending a banquet held in the kingdom. Aben immediately recognized her face, which retained the features he remembered from when she was younger. And with Greys at her side, he had no doubt it was her.

Fenria is providing us support? But why would the princess come herself....

Aben quickly scanned his surroundings.

Except for a few knights accompanying Viola and Grace, the rest of the troops were in unfamiliar armor.

What’s with them?

The soldiers clad in black leather armor and wielding weapons with a blue sheen exuded an unusual aura. But it didn’t matter who they were; Aben and his knights were just grateful that this mysterious brigade was killing off the monsters.

They’ve saved us.

As the surrounding monsters were being dealt with, the previously disorganized soldiers managed to regroup. Following the path cleared by the troops, the remaining civilians could flee to the safety of Twin Armor.

We need to reorganize quickly.

Though they had overcome a crisis, the greatest threat was still there.

“GHRAAA!!”

At the Minotaur’s roar, the soldiers hastily grabbed their weapons and encircled the creature.

“Hold it off! Don’t let it breach the lines until Marze’s knights return!”

Aben encouraged the soldiers, but the situation was dire. Without the help of knights, it would be almost impossible for these regular soldiers to stop the Minotaur. Nevertheless, buying as much time as possible was all Aben could do, and he intended to do just that.

“There’s no need for that. Withdraw the soldiers.”

Viola approached with a stern face. Her expression also conveyed a sense of surprise.

“Huh?”

Aben realized that the Minotaur, which had been rampaging moments ago, was now trembling in place.

But then, a shocking sight provided Aben with an answer to Viola’s question.

“Huh...?”

His eyes fell on Karyl, who was perched on the Minotaur’s shoulder, gripping its neck with a composed expression.