Chapter 43

Chapter 43 – Tripier, the Knight of Mist (1)

“F-Fucker?”

“Th-That insane little mudfish dares to speak to the commander like that!?”

The offensive language came from a mere child, likely no older than fifteen.

And it was directed at none other than at their respected captain.

Naturally, the five hundred White Lions were outraged.

“Insulting a noble is worthy of an immediate execution!”

“I’ll rip out that insolent tongue of yours right now!”

“The parents who raised such a brat will also be held accountable!”

Listening quietly, Ancelot smirked.

“That’s not a bad idea.”

“......What?”

“What fault does a kid like me have? The problem lies with the parents who let their child turn out like this.”

“......Huh?”

“If you can, I’d be grateful if you went right now and gave my parents a good spanking.”

The White Lions were now beyond confused; they were utterly dumbfounded.

“Is this kid insane......?”

Of course, no one took his words literally.

‘What can you guys do?’

Like such— the White Lions thought it was a mockery.

In the midst of all this, only the captain, Tripier, remained calm.

“......I see. You’re that slave I’d love to rip to pieces.”

“Calling me a slave to my face isn’t exactly pleasant either, you know.”

“Hmm......”

The sense of unease Tripier had been feeling grew stronger.

This was definitely not an illusion spell.

He’d never heard of a mere illusion carrying on a conversation.

‘No matter how much I focus, I can’t sense their presence.’

This kid was just like the other archers, who had their bows drawn.

It was like he didn’t exist until the moment he opened his mouth.

There are two hypotheses to consider at this point.

Either this kid is a groundbreaking illusion that can hold a conversation.

Or he’s a prodigy capable of deceiving Tripier’s senses at such a young age.

‘Either way, it doesn’t make sense.’

Eventually, Tripier reached a conclusion.

‘There must be a magic circle or artifact near the wall that’s concealing their presence.’

This was a difficult assumption to believe, but it was the most plausible explanation at the moment.

“Hey, you fucker.”

Tripier let out a small laugh.

“Looks like Count Arsene prepared quite a lot in various ways.”

“Huh?”

“But it’s a bit of a disappointment. To send out a mere child for such an obvious provocation......”

So far, Count Arsene was nowhere to be found.

It was a remark pointing that out.

“This isn’t a provocation; it’s just delivering facts.”

Instead, the kid spoke out even more confidently.

Tripier furrowed his brow and shouted.

“Count Arsene! Are you going to continue with such childish provocations? Come out! Let’s settle this like men!”

But the kid didn’t care.

“Even a trained dog recognizes its owner. But your leader, Marquis Foltaine, not only tried to bite the neck of the king he served but also sought to harm his fellow countrymen for the sake of power.”

“......!”

For the first time, killing intent flared in Tripier’s eyes.

“Honestly, calling such a treacherous dog a ‘fucker’ might be too kind.”

“......Hahaha.”

Tripier barely regained his composure and let out a low laugh.

“A traitor, huh...... Yes, for now, you might call us that.”

“Look at this guy, laughing after being called a traitor.”

“Titles change depending on the situation.”

“What are you talking about?”

“After this war ends, will I still be called a ‘traitor’? Or will I be hailed as the ‘revolutionary’ who saved the country?”

“Oh?”

Ancelot let out a small exclamation.

“History is written by the victors. So, brat, no matter what nonsense you spout, I won’t be bothered.”

“You’re quite confident.”

“Now go fetch your master. I can’t keep conversing with a whelp like you.”

Immediately, the White Lion Brigade burst into loud laughter.

‘These guys are actually more refreshing.’

Contrary to his expectations, Ancelot was secretly pleased with the current situation.

‘These straightforward types are much better than those pretentious bastards babbling about chivalry and other nonsense.’

Did Tripier misunderstand the brief silence?

Feeling emboldened, he spoke again.

“Didn’t you hear me? Don’t just stand there stupidly, hurry up......”

“How dare a traitor! On behalf of His Majesty, whom I deeply respect, I shall wipe out your entire lineage!”

However, the number of his wounds kept increasing.

Naturally, his body became as heavy as a water-soaked sponge.

‘......Could it be......?’

A thought suddenly flashed in his mind.

‘The mist!’

Viscount Rodri’s eyes trembled slightly.

An element he thought was only blocking his vision.

Surprisingly, the mist was imbued with ‘killing intent.’

“Looks like you finally noticed.”

“......!”

“The phenomenon where water vapor floats in the air as tiny droplets. That is the essence of mist.”

Tripier’s voice echoed repeatedly from his blind spot.

“I have long researched how to split water mana into particles and imbue them with killing intent.”

As if giving pointers to a novice, he continued his kind explanation.

“And finally, I perfected this secret technique, ‘The Mist of the Sage’.”

The mist around a ship at sea.

Indeed, it was quite a fitting name.

The sailors often forgot their accumulated fatigue in the damp, salty sea breeze.

“That’s why I told you all to attack together.”

At the same moment,

Swoosh!

‘The left!’

Viscount Rodri’s eyes flashed.

A sword was flying towards him.

He quickly raised his hand.

But this time, his movement was unbearably slow and sluggish compared to before.

‘I’ve lost too much blood......!’

Slash!

As a result, he allowed an attack through for the first time.

“Ugh!”

A sharp pain was felt in his forearm.

It was obviously a severe injury.

It seemed the tendons in his left forearm had been severed.

“......No, what’s truly severed is my future, blinded by revenge and forgetting even honor.”

Crack!

This time, excruciating pain shot through his left knee.

Viscount Rodri’s lower body buckled completely.

Simultaneously, his spirit was crushed.

Slash!

With the next attack, a portion of his beard, a symbol of his nobility, was cut off.

As if mocking him, questioning if he was truly a noble.

In this manner, Tripier deliberately chipped away at his soul.

“......I’m sorry, brother.”

Viscount Rodri murmured softly, closing his eyes with a resigned expression.

By now, the mist had completely cleared.

And his miserable state was revealed to all.

Tripier, with a triumphant look, pointed his sword at Rodri’s neck.

“I deliberately only severed the tendons. Of course, if left like this, you might die of bleeding.”

“Wooooaaaahhhh!”

Immediately, the White Lion Corps cheered loudly.

“Count Arsene! I know you’re hiding and watching. If you lift the siege and remove those damned plants, I’ll spare your subordinate’s life!”

“......”

There was no reply.

However, Tripier did not lose his composure.

It didn’t matter if he resorted to incendiary tactics now.

‘A cold-hearted lord who doesn’t care about his subordinates’ lives. Soldiers wouldn’t risk their lives for such a master.’

In the end, the initial plan to break the enemy’s morale was essentially succeeding.

“Or do you all want to try attacking me now?”

“......!”

“I promise you. If any of you can defeat me, I will release Viscount Rodri. In fact, you can even come at me all at once.”

In the midst of the silent stillness, Tripier’s voice echoed once more.

“Now, who’s next?”

At that moment, Ancelot, who had been watching the scene, smirked crookedly.

“Hey, you fucker.”

“......What?”

“Beating just one underling and putting on such airs?”

For a moment, Tripier thought he misheard.

“......What?”

“Already think the world is yours? You’ve forgotten the adage to conceal 30% of your ability until the very end, revealing all your pitiful skills.”

“Ha......”

“Come at me. Today, I’ll show you the heaven above heavens.”

By then, the child had approached Tripier on his own and was beckoning him with his finger.

“Like you said, let’s throw away our pride and chivalry, and have a real fight.”