Chapter 115 - Senior Holy Knight And Sunny Land [6]
Chapter 115. Senior Holy Knight and Sunny Land [6]
As I took a break after tying up the battle with the Black Organization, Ria and Rose arrived at Lao Village.
「A-Allen, are you all right!?」
「You were a little too fast…!」
With large beads of sweat trickling down their foreheads, the two unsheathed their swords, vigilant of their surroundings.
「Aa, sorry. But it’s okay now. I’ve taken care of everyone.」
When I saw the critical situation in Lao village from afar, I got permission from Ben-san and was allowed to proceed forward alone.
A little while later, the senior Holy Knights arrived.
「O, Oi, Allen… Did you do all this alone?」
Ben-san stared in wonder, looking at the more than 50 unconscious members of the Black Organization.
「Yes, I managed somehow.」
Fortunately, Fu Rudras, one of the Thirteen Knights of the Oracle, who attacked Thousand Blade Academy, and Dodriel-class swordsmen were not present.
「W-Way to go… To think you could『massacre』them on your own.」
「…Eh?」
I immediately refuted Ben-san, who said something unsettling.
「N-No! None of them are dead!」
「…What?」
Ben-san looked at me with his mouth wide open – and reached for the neck of a nearby black organization member.
「…There is a pulse. Are they all really alive?」
「O-Of course! I’m not going to『kill』that easily! 」
When I said that, Ben-san suddenly fell silent.
(Is this guy… a monster!?『One vs Fifty』is a hopeless difference in fighting power, and yet, everyone was captured alive?)
He gulped and smiled dryly.
「Ha, haha…… As expected of the recommendation of『Clown』and『Black Fist』… And you’re still a student. It is likely you’ll grow more frightening still…」
「Ah, t-thank you…」
I was suddenly praised, for some reason. Thus, I absentmindedly replied.
「A-Anyway, this is a big achievement, Allen! Oi, you guys! Detain the Black Organization guys! Don’t let them commit suicide! Rough em’ up and squeeze out information at all costs!」
「「「Ou!」」」
When the senior Holy Knights began to restrain the unconscious members of the Black Organization,
「A, Allen… Look over there!」
Ria’s face turned pale, as she pointed in a certain direction.
There – the girl I helped a while ago, was holding up a sword towards an unconscious man.
「We have to stop her!」
「…No, it’s okay.」I stopped Ria, as she tried to run towards the girl.
It is true that, right now, there is a strong hatred in her eyes. But there is also a warm and tender light deep in them.
「I have to avenge mama…!」
As she raised the sword high, she trembled in small increments – finally collapsing on the spot.
「T-Thank goodness…」Ria exhaled a breath of relief.
「I’ll go check on her.」
I approached the girl.
「Ah…」she noticed me.
I deliberately produced loud footsteps so as not to surprise her, and sat down to match her line of sight.
「…Are you alright?」
When I asked her in a gentle voice, she raised her face, which was mushy with tears.
And then,
「I couldn’t… Even though I have to avenge mama… I’m scared… my hands won’t stop shaking…!」she said, snivelling and choking on her words.
「-What is your name?」
「…… Mi, Millie.」
「I see. You are strong, Millie.」
「…Eh?」
「It’s not that you couldn’t do it. You chose not to do it by your own will. A path that differs from the『evil path』of these guys. You made a decision with your own reason without being swept away by emotions. That is your strength. Moreover…」
I snapped my fingers a little exaggeratedly and removed the clothes of darkness that protected the villagers.
「What did you do, onii-chan?」
「Take a good look over there.」
I pointed in a certain direction.
And there was,
「N-No way…!」
There was the appearance of Millie’s mother, who was breathing regularly.
「Ma, Mama…?!」
Her eyes widened, and she started running as fast as her legs could carry her.
「Mama, wake up…! Please, I beg you… Open your eyes!」she said, desperately shaking her mother’s shoulder.
「…What? Am I…?」
Millie’s mother slowly opened her eyes and raised her upper body as if nothing happened to her in the first place.
「Mama!」
「…Millie? Oh, right! What about the Black Organization!?」
She hugged Millie and quickly glanced around.
「It’s all right now! This onii-chan finished off all the bad guys! And he even cured your injury!」
「N-No way… It was such a deep wound… How on earth…?」
Millie’s mother looked at me with a shocked expression.
「Well, uh…」
To be honest, being asked how I treated the injury was very troubling.
I cured it with a mysterious power which even I don’t understand well – this is the truth, but obviously I can’t say that.
(…It can’t be helped.)
Having trouble answering, I decided to spin a small lie instead.
「Actually, I… It’s a recovery-type soul dress.」
Saying it was a『recovery-type soul dress』rather than a『mysterious power』should provide a better peace of mind.
「I-Is that so…? Thank you very much! You saved not only my daughter’s life, but also mine! I don’t know how to thank you anymore…!」Millie’s mother said, and bowed her head over and over again.
「No, don’t worry. Most importantly, I’m just glad everyone is safe.」
When I was talking with them,
「Allen, I’m sorry to interrupt. Can I have a moment?」Ben-san said, patting me on the shoulder.
「What is it?」
「Man, I really didn’t think you had such a powerful soul dress… I decided to revise the strategy a little bit. Sorry, but I need a bit of your time.」
「Yes, I understand.」
…Though, this power was not my soul dress.
I suppose it’s necessary that I explain from that first.
■
After that, I explained to Ben-san about the power of『darkness』in the lodge of Lao village.
「Fuu… To think that wasn’t even a soul dress… Allen, you are a real piece of work…」he whispered, in a state of astonishment.
「Ahaha… I’m sorry.」
「No, but it truly is an unusual power. I’ve seen hundreds of soul dress, but this is the first time I’ve seen such a strange ability…」
「Is that so…?」
When I asked him that question, Ben-san nodded
「Aa, no doubt. You’ve seen their reactions, haven’t you? That’s the answer.」
「I, I see…」
Ben-san said that the senior Holy Knights who saw my darkness for the first time were all equally astonished.
「Anyway – this darkness is quite an unusual and ridiculously amazing ability. In the end, even I am jealous of you!」
「Thank you, ahaha.」
As we ended the discussion, there was a loud knock on the door.
「Ou, enter!」
When Ben-san replied, a scary-looking Holy Knight, with an unshaven face, stepped into the room.
「Ha, Branch chief! All the residents of Lao village have been confirmed to be safe!」
「Oh, that’s good!」
Miraculously, no one seems to have lost their lives.
The healing from the darkness made it at the very last moment.
(…Even so, this is an unbelievable healing ability.)
To be honest… I thought Millie’s mother wouldn’t be able to make it.
I saw a sword pierce deep into her chest three times
She was cured completely in an instant from that state without any noticeable aftereffects.
(…There is no doubt after all. Everything is rising…)
The strength of the body, offensive power, defense power – and healing ability.
As the output of darkness goes up, these powers seem to skyrocket as well.
It is certainly reliable, but also a little scary at the same time.
(…Does it have anything to do with this?)
I pinched my black and white hair.
Recently, there have been a number of abnormal incidents happening to my body.
Great physical ability without being clad in darkness.
And this body being terrifyingly sturdy.
Most of all – this sudden black-and-white hair.
(Little by little, am I starting to look like that guy?)
His physical ability is realms apart and the best I know of.
And his body is so sturdy that a blade doesn’t cut through – and above all, his hair is white.
(It’s going to be okay… right?)
I wake up one morning and find that my body is snatched away.
I really don’t want that to happen.
When I was thinking of such things on my own, the scary-looking Holy Knight continued to report.
「And we managed to squeeze out new information from the Black Organization guys! Their purpose is the spirit ore that can be mined in this country!」
Spirit ores – a rare ore formed only in certain limited areas.
In addition to the spirit sword that we use in class, it is the foundation of the spirit pill that the Black Organization is developing.
「Furthermore… We found that one of the Thirteen Knights of the Oracle – Rain Glad is controlling the royal castle ahead of this village. He’s a top-notch swordsman called『Rain Man』within the Black Organization.」
Rain Glad, one of the Thirteen Knights of the Oracle, huh…
He is a swordsman of the same rank as the Thirteen Knights of the Oracle, Fu Rudras, who attacked Thousand Blade Academy.
(There’s no doubt that he’s a far higher ranked opponent than us.)
But with Ria, Rose, Ben-san and the senior Holy Knights, we can surely defeat him.
After receiving the report from his subordinate, Ben-san issued an order, in a loud voice.
「Yoshi, understood! Well then, gather all the senior Holy Knights in this lodge! I will explain the new extermination strategy that places the special fighting-class『Allen Rodore』at the forefront!」
Then, we headed for the royal castle in the northern end of Dagrio, to defeat Rain Glad, the Thirteen Knight of the Oracle who rules this country – drilling Ben-san’s new extermination strategy into our heads.