Evil-like Duke Household

Chapter 29: Escorting the Most Important Person: Escort Knight’s Special Mission

A silhouette of a strong carriage can be seen running through towards the Azolias kingdom's territory.

Around that carriage, at least 20 heads of the Azolias kingdom's Chivalric Order, the Escort Knight Unit, are on duty and are vigilant towards their surroundings. Furthermore, their posture is not normal. It like they're not used to do it.

No matter how one sees it, it's not normal .

Well, that's expected since theyre in the middle of a mission that mustn't fail at all costs.

Is the one inside the carriage royalty?

Wrong.

He's not someone who got his position based on his bloodline.

Rather, he's an old man who's not even attached to any of the kingdoms.

But even so, no one can act without respect in front of him.

His name is Diebold Ractos.

The front part of his head is bald, with the remaining hair a pale black colour with a gradient of red. His back is straight despite his age, which is nearing 70 years old.

While his face is already full of wrinkles, the glint in his eyes, still, have not disappeared.

It's sharp like a bird that's looking at its prey.

He is the Hero of the War, the top of the sorcerer, the one whom is called as the [ Sorcery King of the Dusk ] .

Several years ago, the time when the whole continent was wrapped in the flame of war. It's fitting to call it as the Age of War. He had risen in fame during those times as the Sorcery Squadron of the Azolias kingdom.

No, it's not even an exaggeration to say that he created a legend.

Hes too strong. Too powerful that even the word strong is not enough to describe his strength.

And because of that, when the war had ended and peace has come, all of the kingdoms see him as a problem.

Hes an existence that's too big for one country to have.

Its judged that he will be creating the new spark to start another war.

And then, the biggest congress that's ever written in history were carried out. At that place, he lost his country.

Using lots of sorcerers of pacts and contracts, they created a chain for him that no one can break ...

But even so, the fearsome [ Sorcery King of the Dusk ] is still the hero for the Azolias kingdom.

Its even said that if he didnt exist, the Azolias kingdom will only consist of one third of its current size.

Theres no way that we will disrespect him.

Someone that's was even permitted to call the current emperor without using any honorifics is now inside the carriage. He who kept on looking out of the window to kill the time finally moved his gaze towards the coachman's back .

Then he spoke one sentence.

[ ... Is our journey to the land of salvation still far ? ]

[ Ha , ha ? .... Pa-pardon me ? ]

The coachman tensed up. And because of that, he carelessly ended up missing what Diebold had said.

Even if coachman did hear what Diebold had said, in the end, he still wouldn't be able to understand Diebolds abstruse words. But even so, the coachman still made a mistake.

Sweat flowed on the coachman's body.

He felt like his heartbeat stopped.

Looking like he didn't really mind about it, Diebold moved his gaze to the side.

When Diebold didn't seem to mind his rude act, the coachman felt relieved.

Then, he realized that his heartbeat is actually faster than usual.

His breath became rougher as if he was just running from some strong monster with all of his might.

[ ... Rinna ]

As if losing interest to the coachman, Diebold called over the woman who sat beside him.

Due to his abstruse wording, the coachman can see that it Diebold and that woman seems to be having a conversation. But he still couldn't understand it.

Surely, it's a talk about a sorcery .

After all, the one who's talking with Diebold is also a sorcerer.

She is known as the [ Witch of Ice Floe ], the [ Pupil of the Dusk ], and the [Eternal Winter].

Her name is Rinna Veil.

Shes a famous woman who, at the later part of the war, became Diebolds apprentice. Even after the war has ended, she still continued to follow him. And it is said that she is the candidate for the next Emperor King.

She has a high aptitude for magic, as well as the magical trait for freezing sorcery. She's a genius that endeavours herself on the world of magic and is not tied to anyone.

If she was not the pupil of Diebold, surely all of the kingdoms will make a move to take her under their country. (TL : funny thing is, by this line it means that if she's not the pupil of Diebold, all the kingdoms that existed will send their royalty or at least someone important to become her fiance)

[ Diebold-sama ? ]

... Suddebly , the temperature inside the carriage dropped.

Seemingly realized something, Rinna called over to her teacher, Diebold.

[ .... hmm ? ]

Diebold too, squinted his eyes as if detecting something.

His gaze looked afar. It looks as if even though he was inside the carriage, he is still able to look in the surroundings of the carriage.

[ Coach, stop the cart. ]

There was a sudden stopping order.

The coachman, without saying anything, quickly stopped the carriage.

As the carriage stopped, Diebold came out from the carriage.

One of the escort knights went to ask him if something's wrong. But Diebold just raised a finger without even looking at him and stopped that knight from talking to him.

This time, different from before, Diebold opened his eyes wide and focused his magical power into his eyes.

And then as if following him, Rinna did the same.

[ ... Anything on sight ? ]

[ Human type ... by eye measurement, around 3 meters, blue skin ... It seems to be decomposing. Perhaps it's an Undead High Orc. ]

Hearing those two , the estort knights started to become noisy. Then, they surrounded the two as if making a wall for them and became vigilant of their surroundings.

[[ Undead High Orc]]

The monster that's called as an undead insect will become a parasite that instate itself inside a dead body of a monster that has yet to turn into bones. Then, it will control the body of that monster by clinging on the target's body. It is stronger than the usual orc. It could be said that this is a subspecies of an orc.

If it's just a high orc, there's no way that the robust knights of the Azoliaz kingdom will fall behind.

But it's a different story if the opponent is an undead.

After all, they will come without any fear and attacking their usual weak point will become useless.

Even if the head is destroyed or the body split in two, it will keep moving and attacking.

... Even if they will not lose, they still have to prepare for some casualties.

The escort knights desperately looked for their enemy.

But even so, they can't find their enemy's form.

[ Umu , No mistake ... It took camp on the roadway ... But knowing that it's not human made it easier. ]

Perhaps it's just their imagination. No, they wish for it to be their imagination.

Diebold is showing his joy, knowing that their opponent is not a human, right in front of the knights and the coachman.

Diebold slowly raised his hand onto the air.

A thick mist of magical power, that even a person without any aptitude for magic will be able to see, is spewed up.

--- [ Sorcery King of the Dusk ] used his shadow sorcery.

From somewhere, a gasp could be heard.

[ Hows the condition ?]

After a moment, Diebold had his hand, that was raised, slowly put down then asked Rinna .

[ Death confirmed ]

He didn't converse with his usual abstruse way that made one feel coerced and bring fear to the ones who hear it, but normal wording that's used in the time of the war.

Calmly analysing the condition of their enemy, together with their partner, they will bring about the correct judgement for the situation at hand.

A conversation to make sure that they wouldn't make any mistakes and let their enemy survive.

It's something that's written in the learning book of every soldier, and they showed a perfect example of that.

--- Several hours had passed since Diebold and Rinna entered back into the carriage and, once again, the convoy is moving.

As they advanced for about 500 meters, they found a body of a decomposed orc at the side of the road.

The body of that orc was pierced with something sharp in all of it's joints, which is the vital part of the body.

For a creature that already became a monster, using this kind of tactic is the most effective.

No matter how sturdy the undead is, as long as their movement is gone, they will just become a unmoving corpse.

That's right, Diebold just detected a monster from a distance that couldn't be seen with the naked eye from inside of the carriage. Then, with that distance, he-he precisely exterminated that monster.

[ ... Splendid! ]

One of the escort knights muttered so.

That's what everyone felt during the mission.

They're young knights who were born after the war ended and didn't know the chaos of the battlefield.

Diebold Ractos ... [ Sorcery King of the Dusk ]

His legend - myth , is not something fake that only comes out in a play, a fairy tale or a novel.

His brave tale of the war is not something that's exaggerated.

He is indeed the one who bears the fame and respect as the [Hero of the War], the strongest sorcerer.

Fears nothing and is always calm ... as well as ruthless and unpararelled.