"Sure enough, it's here."
The Blood Knight's gaze was calm. He sat casually on the bench, unarmored, a massive battle axe resting at his side, looking no different from an ordinary knight at first glance. Yet beneath his well-honed bronze muscles lay a coiled power, restrained but ready to erupt at any moment.
"…That's terrifying." Roy's eyebrows twitched. "Are we really supposed to fight a monster like this?"
He felt something was wrong with the intelligence. Even during their previous encounters, the Blood Knight's presence had never felt this oppressive. A sense of unease crept up his spine. Were they about to become easy prey tonight?
Roy quickly shook the thought away and frowned. After all, they were Lazurites. The two of them working together against a Champion-level Major Knight was not some absurd imbalance like facing the Radiant Knight. This was just the Blood Knight.
Monique pressed her lips together. She disliked Roy's flippant tone, yet she could not deny the danger she felt. The Blood Knight radiated a pressure that made her instincts scream.
Had all of his earlier battles been nothing more than child's play? Or did he possess some method to grow this powerful in such a short time? Was that even possible?
A crossbow bolt arrived before the Blood Knight in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, a shield formed from blood manifested out of thin air. The bolt was swallowed whole, corroded and erased without leaving a trace.
"…Hey." Roy let out a casual remark. "Since when do Blood Knights use Originium Arts like that?"
Though his tone sounded idle, the bolt had been fired from the crossbow in his own hands.
Monique remained silent. From her previous encounters with the Blood Knight, she knew this much without being told. If he had possessed such Originium Arts before, he would never have been wounded so badly or forced into retreat. With this level of control, assassins would pose no threat to him at all.
'Are we… waiting for him to come to us?'
The thought sent a chill through her body.
The Blood Knight said nothing. His silence alone froze his opponents in place.
It was no secret that his Originium Arts were rooted in his own blood, but until now, he had used them primarily to reinforce his attacks. Since his debut, blood manipulation had always been an auxiliary tool, never his main strength, until the incident of the previous assault.
The method he used came from Felix, or more precisely, from the Vampire Clan of the Sarkaz. After obtaining a copy of the Bloodfallen family's manuscript, he began training in earnest. Before that, he had never truly devoted himself to Originium Arts. As a champion who relied on sheer physical might, such techniques had always been secondary.
Now, however, this was an opportunity. A chance to go even further.
The Blood Knight rose to his feet. Blood seeped from his body, coating him layer by layer. His frame seemed to shrink slightly, only for his muscles to swell with even greater density. The blood wrapped around him like armor as he gripped his battle axe and stepped forward, one heavy step at a time, toward the two Lazurites.
"If you won't come to me," he said flatly, "then I'll come to you."
Roy and Monique exchanged a glance and split apart at the same time. Crossbow bolts flew forth in rapid succession, each fired from a different angle, forming a perfect encirclement with no blind spots.
The crimson shield appeared once more, devouring every bolt. Nothing remained.
The Blood Knight did not slow his advance. This level of Originium Arts placed little strain on his body, and he was fully aware of his own shortcomings. Setting everything else aside, the speed of the Armorless Union was still troublesome, and speed was not his strength.
But crossbow bolts would eventually run out.
He extended his palm and crushed a blood-red arrow into fragments. Then he stood still, unmoving, like a statue, like a god of war.
Roy clicked his tongue in irritation. How were they supposed to fight like this? Long-range attacks were useless, vanishing like stones thrown into the sea. Of course, if they had enough arrows and enough reinforcements, they could stall until the Blood Knight exhausted himself. Once he could no longer maintain his Originium Arts, he would be riddled with holes.
Roy reached back to his quiver. On most missions, he carried only one, often leaving it half unused.
This time, he had brought three.
After a quick check, he realized he had already emptied one.
Her gaze cut through the curtain of rain toward Monique, and the sound of arrows abruptly stopped.
Monique had run out of bolts. Unlike Roy, she had only brought two quivers.
Roy felt a stab of regret. He should have called for more people, even if they were just expendable hands. At the very least, they could have worn the Blood Knight down. Now that long-range attacks were useless, perhaps another kind of ranged approach…
His eyes flicked to the Blood Knight's armor and massive axe, and he swallowed hard. He did not want to die. He had made far too much money to leave it unspent, and he had no desire to clash head-on with a knight who excelled in close combat.
His monthly pay was modest, but the commissions from completed missions were generous.
The Blood Knight cast an indifferent glance at Roy, who was crouched atop the low rooftop, momentarily dazed. He exhaled softly, then his massive body launched forward.
Bang!
Roy raised his crossbow to block. His eyes twitched violently as a jolt ran through his arms, leaving them numb and aching as if they were about to shatter. He stared at the Blood Knight who had appeared before him in an instant, wanting to curse and demand how someone that size could move so fast, but the pressure pinning him down left him no time to speak.
Clang!
Monique's cold arrow forced the Blood Knight to tilt his head slightly. The blood-red barrier engulfed the projectile, buying Roy a narrow chance to escape. He stumbled back and rolled, his cloak churning through the rain across the rooftop. The hair he had dyed not long ago was now matted with mud and blood, leaving him in a miserable state.
The Blood Knight sighed inwardly. His training during this period was still not enough. He had improved his Originium Arts, yes, but the issue of speed had plagued him long before this. After Młynar joined Tomorrow's Developments, the Blood Knight had requested to spar with him, hoping they could grow together. Młynar had not refused. Through daily training, the Blood Knight had come to understand that his large frame and dense muscles meant he would never truly surpass speed-oriented opponents.
But he could sharpen his reaction speed and explosive bursts.
If he could master that, he would no longer fear any opponent who relied on speed.
He could intercept any attack in an instant.
Just like now.
Roy's expression darkened as his heart pounded. It had been a long time since someone had made him feel death breathing down his neck. Since Młynar joined Tomorrow's Developments, he had stopped appearing before Roy to provoke him. Not because Młynar would say much, but because, for the sake of Tomorrow's Developments and to make their stance clear, Młynar might very well draw his sword and kill him outright.
That sense of lethal threat returned, vivid and undeniable.
Bang!
"Damn it!"
Roy cursed and parried again with his crossbow. Inside, he was screaming. Why were all of the attacks aimed at his face? He had taken a few shots at the Blood Knight himself, but this was absurd.
Puff!
Roy's arm was slashed, yet his expression did not change. He twisted away, nocked an arrow, and fired, only for it to be swallowed once more by the blood-red barrier.
The Blood Knight looked at Roy indifferently, then shifted his gaze to Monique, who had stopped firing some distance behind him.
The three figures stood in the rain, locked in silence.
At last, the Blood Knight spoke.
"Go."
"…You're really letting us leave?"
Roy lifted his head, contempt for himself welling up, but for the sake of his life, he clung to this sliver of hope. He could have turned and fled immediately, but that would have meant abandoning his position as an Lazurite.
The Blood Knight did not object. As the two slowly retreated, preparing to withdraw with what dignity they could muster, he spoke again.
"His Highness has a message for you."
"…What?"
Monique pressed her lips together. No one in the Armorless Union or the Chamber of Commerce failed to understand what "Your Highness" meant. Across Kazimierz, and even among those forces that had once dealt with Kazdel, that title carried only one meaning now.
Perhaps in the past, it had referred to the naive princess of Kazdel. But on this land of Terra, "Your Highness" now pointed to only one person.
"If you want to retire," the Blood Knight said after a brief pause, "this is your chance."
At the sight of it, Roy's lips twitched. He exchanged a glance with Monique, then vanished into the curtain of rain.
He really had considered retirement, returning to his hometown with a nest full of egg. He had saved quite a lot over the years. After serving the Armorless Union for so long, its superior, the Chamber of Commerce, had paid him generously. With his savings, he could easily buy two or three decent properties in Kazimierz's mobile cities, excluding Kawalerielki.
He had already planned his life after retirement. He would live in one apartment and rent out the other two, living comfortably as a landlord.
He did not want to completely waste his martial skills and had once considered bounty hunting, but Roy ultimately preferred to retire for good. The intelligence networks of the Chamber of Commerce and the Armorless Union spanned all of Kazimierz, and he did not want to be rediscovered if he returned to his old line of work.
Moreover, having reached his current position, a clean retirement was unlikely. The Armorless Union would continue to monitor him, which was exactly what Roy wished to avoid.
"Are you seriously considering his proposal?" Monique asked.
Roy glanced at her, pursed his lips, and replied, "I thought adventurers joining the Armorless Union would bring some fresh air. I didn't expect it to turn out like this."
"Adventurers aren't Terrans. They're fundamentally different from us. But the higher-ups of the Armorless Union probably see them as a very useful resource."
"Don't put it so bluntly."
Roy twitched the corner of his mouth and sighed.
"At this time, Tomorrow Development's base should still be operating, right?"
"…Yes."
"Let's attack the base."
Roy lifted his gaze, a faint glint flashing in his eyes. "What's the reason? You know we've never had any direct conflict with Tomorrow's Development. The higher-ups wouldn't issue such a foolish order. Adventurers treat Tomorrow's Development like mice facing a cat. What's the justification for an attack?"
"Does the reason even matter anymore?" Monique checked the few remaining bolts in her quiver. "Besides, we'd be doing that prince who wants to expand a favor. Maybe we'll even run into our old rival again."
Roy slung the crossbow onto his back. "I'm really starting to like you more and more, Monique."
"And I think you're just asking for trouble."
Roy laughed, swallowed some rainwater, and shook his head. "Who knows? That future lord might still need our help."
"Oh."
Monique let out a scornful sneer.
The two figures disappeared into the night once more.
The next day, the two Lazurites, having failed in their night raid on the Blood Knight, turned their blades toward a Tomorrow's Development branch stronghold. By coincidence, Młynar witnessed the attack and "killed" them on the spot. The news spread like wildfire through Tomorrow's Development and the Armorless Union.
The leadership of the Armorless Union fell into chaos.
"Damn it!" someone shouted. "When did we ever order Lazurites to attack a Tomorrow's Development branch?"
Attacking an individual Blood Knight and attacking a faction's stronghold were two completely different matters. The former could be brushed aside under the pretext of a knightly competition. The latter could not be dismissed with a few words.
They could feign ignorance over the Blood Knight incident, but attacking a Tomorrow's Development branch and getting people killed was far beyond what they could bear. The high-ranking members panicked like ants on a hot pan, smashing furniture and cursing in their offices.
"Damn it, Roy and Monique are complete idiots! Who ordered them to attack Tomorrow's Developments' camp? Are they insane?"
"Wasn't that your order?"
"You're questioning me at a time like this? I haven't even accused you yet!"
The senior staff were already divided, and now it looked as though they might come to blows. But what they feared most soon arrived.
A messenger from Tomorrow's Development appeared, delivering a letter. He was a male Sarkaz.
Along with it came a message from Tomorrow's Development's upper management.
"Although the two Lazurites are dead, we still require an explanation. For what purpose did the Armorless Union instruct these two to attack our stronghold?"
The Sarkaz's tone was calm, but the leaders of the Armorless Union felt the storm gathering. They were on the verge of tears, utterly unsure what kind of compensation could possibly satisfy Tomorrow's Development.
Money, resources, women. If necessary, they would send everything at once. And if that still wasn't enough, they could only turn to the Chamber of Commerce for more.