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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Pot]
[Proofreader - Kawaii]
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Chapter 121: Royal Guard Allen
I mounted a horse with Venion and headed toward the troubled fishing village.
“You know, Your Highness.”
“What is it?”
“You ride a horse… quite uniquely.”
“I didn’t remember.”
Naturally, I had never properly learned to ride a horse. How often would an underworld thug have the chance to ride one? It’s not like I was a bandit.
“This is why amnesia is so terrifying.”
But it wasn’t a problem. I had already stolen a glance at Venion’s riding posture, and by the time we arrived at our destination, I had become a skilled rider.
“You really pick up on everything quickly.”
“Whether it’s swordsmanship or riding, it’s all about using your body.”
Now, dressed in the armor and uniform I’d borrowed from Jeffrey, I looked every bit like a proper Royal Guard to anyone who saw me.
“But why are you covering your face?”
Venion pointed at the cloth covering the lower half of my face.
“A mere Royal Guard can’t be this handsome, can he? I took preemptive measures to avoid any unnecessary awkwardness.”
“……”
Venion, as if he hadn’t heard anything, casually ignored my remark.
“When someone hears an irrefutable statement, they either get angry or stay silent.”
“……”
Was I being a bit too much?
But after living my whole life with a rugged face, now that I have this sculpted, beautiful face, I’ve concluded that it’s okay to enjoy it a little.
“Anyway.”
I looked down at the small, shabby fishing village, so different from the bustling scenery of Grunewald.
It reminds me of the small port cities of Flanders. The architecture might be different, but the lives of the people probably aren’t so different.
“Let’s go gather some information.”
This time, as Royal Guard Allen.
* * *
Gathering information about the monster Nepherus wasn’t too difficult.
“I’m Royal Guard Allen. I’ve come to eliminate the monster causing trouble lately.”
I naturally impersonated a Royal Guard. Thanks to having closely observed Jeffrey and his subordinates’ subtle gestures, at this moment, I was no different from a perfect Royal Guard.
“Ah! You’ve come at just the right time!”
“His Grace the Duke hasn’t abandoned us!”
The villagers, who had suffered so much at the hands of that sea serpent, welcomed me with tears in their eyes.
“Um, but…”
A middle-aged man who seemed to be the village chief cautiously asked, watching my reaction.
“Forgive me for asking, but will the two of you be enough?”
“There’s no need to worry about that.”
I drew Voyager of the Night. Mana surged through the beautiful blade.
Whoosh!
Like a well-oiled torch igniting, a dazzling blue aura erupted from the sword.
“I am a Royal Guard of Grunewald, specially selected by His Grace the Duke.”
Actually, that’s not true.
“Who would dare doubt me?”
Venion looked at me with a face full of unspoken words as I boldly impersonated a Royal Guard.
“Ohhh!”
But these simple folks were so startled that they immediately prostrated themselves before me.
“Forgive us for our ignorance and rudeness!”
“Please, have mercy!”
I calmed the surging aura around me, transforming it into a calm, bluish sword energy, and then slowly sheathed my sword.
“Rise. I did not come here to intimidate you.”
I blended a touch of gentleness into my authoritative voice.
“Th-thank you.”
“Now that your doubts are cleared, I ask for your assistance.”
“What can we do for you…?”
“It’s simple. Gather the fishermen who witnessed the monster.”
“We will do as you ask!”
As the villagers scattered in a panic, Venion approached me.
“You’ve naturally taken control of the situation and started gathering information.”
“No need to foolishly run around on my own, right?”
“You’re quite skilled. A cautious yet rational approach.”
I shrugged silently. No need to state the obvious.
.
.
.
“……Anyway, it’s really, really huge.”
The fishermen eagerly shared their accounts, practically spitting as they spoke.
“Its body is thicker than an ancient tree, and if it fully stretched out, it would be taller than a tower.”
“It’s been attacking boats so fiercely that we haven’t been able to set sail lately.”
“It’s extremely ferocious and reacts sharply to shiny objects. Once it gets angry, it won’t stop until it destroys everything.”
“It’s come ashore a few times, and it seems to dislike dirt. Instead, we’ve seen it coiled up and resting on rocky terrain.”
As I gathered the flood of testimonies, I managed to piece together some meaningful clues.
‘Aggressive and easily excitable—that means it lacks patience. It’s the kind of opponent that can be lured into a trap.’
This was already quite a lot to go on. It also meant that the damn snake had been causing a lot of havoc.
“What do you think?”
Venion asked.
“Well, it’s not long for this world anyway.”
I replied casually.
“Why do you think so?”
“Only cautious and careful beasts survive for long. Predators with many enemies get injured easily, and once they’re injured, they weaken and become prey.”
This was something I had observed from watching the Dark King. Strong and imposing figures often fell hard and never recovered once they slipped.
On the other hand, those who quietly built their strength and hid their power often avoided being targeted and ended up as the final victors.
“In the end, its recklessness has led it to this point, where it’s about to meet its end at the hands of someone like me, isn’t it?”
“Haha, I suppose you’re right.”
Venion chuckled.
“But aren’t you being a bit overconfident? What if you fail—”
“Well, even if I fail, someone else will step up to take it down. Grunewald already knows of its existence, after all. That’s what I meant.”
“…….”
Venion narrowed his eyes.
“Are you saying that’s more important than your own success?”
“Do you really think so?”
I shrugged.
“But from the perspective of these villagers, who takes down that monster isn’t really important.”
“…….”
‘It would’ve been simpler if they had just sent a proper unit to deal with it.’
No, actually, Venion is a powerhouse with unfathomable strength. If he had stepped in, he could’ve resolved the situation in an instant.
‘But since this is a test…’
I was determined to take down that monster on my own.
“Um, sir.”
At that moment, a fisherman cautiously handed me something.
“This is a scale from the Nepherus that washed up on the shore.”
“Oh?”
It was quite light. The translucent blue scale had a faint silvery hue.
Tap tap.
I knocked on it as if testing its durability, and it felt solid yet slightly elastic, like tapping on a metal plate.
“……The edges are sharp.”
“I saw the Nepherus strike a boat with its tail. The boat was left with gashes as if it had been slashed by blades.”
“Indeed. A single hit would turn a body into a mangled mess, making it hard to even recover the remains.”
I smiled as I looked at Venion.
“Can’t let it die like that.”
“Be cautious. This is no ordinary foe.”
Venion warned me with an unusually serious expression.
“I’ll be careful. It’s likely at the late stages of the 4th-tier, possibly even reaching the 5th-tier.”
To my probing question, Venion responded evasively.
“That could be the case.”
“How sly. You must already have information about the Nepherus, don’t you?”
There’s no way the fourth young master of the Grunewald Duchy would be sent into danger without some prior knowledge. If their operations were that sloppy, the duchy would have long since fallen apart, reduced to a mere footnote in history.
“Since you’ve already guessed, there’s nothing more for me to add.”
His answer itself was an affirmation of my question.
“Depending on your perspective, it could either be an insurmountable monster or prey no more dangerous than a human swordsman of equal standing.”
Venion offered a clue, almost as if in compensation.
“Remember this: A hunter can take down a bear not because he’s stronger than the bear, but because of something the beast lacks.”
What beasts lack and humans possess.
That is wisdom.
‘But it likely has its own tactics.’
You’d be surprised at how tactically a pack of wolves can act.
“Old man.”
I turned to the oldest-looking villager, whose eyes still held a spark of life.
“Yes, sir.”
“Has a monster like this caused trouble here before?”
“Ah, yes. It happened when I was a child, and again when I was a young man.”
The old man replied.
“What happened back then?”
“The duchy would send troops to exterminate it.”
“I see.”
“……Actually.”
The old man hesitated before continuing.
“After the monster was slain, there was once a survivor who was miraculously rescued and returned.”
“How so?”
“We don’t know for sure. We could only guess that the monster had swallowed them whole and then spat them out.”
“A guess?”
“They were severely injured and eventually succumbed to their wounds after lingering for a while.”
“……I see.”
It wasn’t until I saw the tears welling in the old man’s eyes that I understood what he was trying to say.
“Old man. If anyone is still alive, I’ll bring them back. Even if they’re gravely injured, they’ll be able to close their eyes in the arms of their family.”
The old man bowed, both surprised and grateful.
“Th-thank you. My nephew and grandnephew went missing after the attack.”
Tears pooled in the old man’s eyes.
“I just want to find their bodies, at least. Please……”
At this, the villagers, who had been watching my reaction, all knelt down in unison.
“Please save them, sir!”
At this point, this was no longer just a simple hunt or a test set by Venion.
“In the name of Grunewald, I will avenge you.”
If I can save even one person and return them to their family, how could I say that all my years of training and honing my skills were for naught?
“Letting emotions dictate your actions isn’t ideal.”
Venion whispered softly.
‘Cold, Venion.’
This statement clearly shows what kind of person Venion is. I won’t deny the value of his advice.
“I’ll take your advice to heart.”
But I won’t abandon the flame of humanity. It was an old, powerless man’s golden words that saved me, and if that flame were to go out, the man named Karzan would cease to exist.
“But this time, I’ll do things my way.”
“Is that so?”
Venion smiled inscrutably.
Did he see my attitude as naive, or as stubbornly peculiar?
Whatever it was, it wouldn’t change who I am. I’m not living this second life to flatter others or to tread carefully.
* * *
As Allenvert and Venion walked away, discussing something, the villagers who had been watching their backs cautiously began to speak.
“……But sir, was there ever such a young and handsome Royal Guard?”
“Even if there were, how would we know? There are hundreds of Royal Guards, they say.”
“True, that makes sense.”
The villagers exchanged glances, recalling Allenvert’s demeanor, his face, his golden hair, and blue eyes.
“How should I put it? He has a strange air of authority.”
“And the older man was using honorifics with him too.”
“Hmm……”
It felt somewhat off to think of him as just a Royal Guard.
“He seemed quite noble.”
“Could he be one of the young masters?”
Though this was a small village along the coastline, quite far from Grunewald Harbor, the people here had ears for rumors just like anyone else.
“Come to think of it, didn’t he say his name was Allen?”
“Ah! That’s right.”
Now that they thought about it, the name wasn’t unfamiliar at all.
“Didn’t we hear that Young Master Allenvert, the fourth Young Master, recently ended his seclusion?”
“They say his talent is so extraordinary that it’s already causing shifts in the succession.”
“Then could it be…?”
The villagers’ eyes widened.
They had just witnessed the dignity, beauty, and character of Allenvert Grunewald, whom they had only heard about in rumors.
“I heard he’s a rare genius with the sword, like Young Master Verdzig or Young Lady Ulbhild.”
“Is that true?”
“It’s a rumor everyone in the city knows.”
The villagers exchanged words filled with both worry and hope.
“Still, he feels different from what the rumors say.”
“He seemed confident, yet kind-hearted.”
“He must have inherited both his father’s and mother’s traits.”
The elders remembered the tales of Lusatia Grunewald, the fourth consort, who was famous for her beauty and kindness, and a symbol of reconciliation with the mountain tribes.
“Blood truly doesn’t lie, does it?”
The reputation of Allenvert Grunewald had already seeped into even the lowest and darkest corners of the duchy.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Pot]
[Proofreader - Kawaii]
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