Chapter 76: A Much-Needed, Short Rest

“……That’s what happened?”

“Yes.”

For some reason, Muno deliberately nodded his head emphatically at his father’s suspicious gaze.

Miya’s matter had ended miraculously, but.

- …Is it the power of that bloodline?

- If it’s that bloodline…….

The words left by Miya’s mother, the dragon, once again summoned the trauma of the past.

- …of the bloodline. Kill them all. Only the baby should be kept alive as an experiment…….

‘The Demon Cult bastards……. At least the higher-ups know about my bloodline.

Perhaps their obsession with me is because of that.’

The thought of having to crush the Demon Cult bastards came up again, but he didn’t want to tell his father about it right now.

It would only be adding worry to worry.

So, he decided to keep it to himself for now.

“The sky covered in demonic energy, a talking dragon……. Nothing was seen from here.”

“I told you I saw it!”

“……Alright, since it’s you saying it, I have to believe you.”

“Your expression says you don’t believe me!?”

“I believe you, I do. If a father doesn’t believe his son, who will?”

“Your expression says you don’t believe me.”

“You’re speaking informally, you punk.”

His father nodded his head but seemed half in doubt.

But even so.

“So you’re saying that the area above the gorge is now covered with monster corpses?”

“Of course! Even the monsters that would have eaten those corpses are all dead, so they’ll be left there for a while.”

“Then, we have to go dig for gold.”

“……Yes.”

He didn't forget to secure Drasen’s main source of income.

* * *

- It’s true! You believe me now, right!?

- I’ve been saying it from the beginning.

That I believe you.

- Ehei……!

Lian let the voices of his father and brother coming from above the gorge go in one ear and out the other, and scanned his surroundings with sparkling eyes.

Even so, he didn't forget one piece of advice.

“Knights, please continue what you were doing.

Don’t mind me. Don’t the soldiers find it strange?”

“Ye-yes. Young Master.”

“Understood.”

At that, the knights, including Roider and Pelson, began to sort through the monster corpses scattered all over and gather the hides and horns that would be worth money.

And looking at their backs, Lian smiled subtly again.

“A dragon. Do you believe it, Larry?”

Since he had just awakened, and he had heard that all the monsters were dead.

Just in case, he had come to the northern mountain range for the first time, escorted by Larry.

And isn't it perfectly peaceful?

“I can’t believe it, but seeing this situation, I can’t help but believe it…”

“Do you believe it?”

“Ah, yes. I believe that the Grand Prince met some kind of incredible monster. But…”

“It wasn’t a dragon?”

“Yes. After all, isn’t it a monster from mythology?”

“Right, it is. But for some reason, I believe it.”

Lian chuckled, looking at his brother moving the enormous length of his chains to transport the monster corpses down while bickering with his father up there.

And he said something out of the blue.

“I’ll probably reach my limit at Count Trian.”

“Yes!? Y-Young Master. Your words…”

“What’s the matter?

There’s no one listening.”

Lian pointed at the knights engrossed in their work and chuckled.

“Why do you think that is?”

“Yes?”

Larry asked back with a still-confused expression, but Lian continued to speak naturally as if he hadn't expected an answer in the first place.

“Because the highest position I can obtain, even by making up a forced justification, is Count Trian. And more than anything…”

“Young Master…”

“...To rise to a position higher than that, I would have to start a war.

And neither my father nor my mother would want that.”

As Lian said that, his expression was mixed with subtle emotions that were difficult to explain.

Regret? Relief?

Larry couldn't quite fathom his feelings, but he instinctively tried to comfort his young lord right away.

“If the Young Master wishes for anything…”

“No, what my family wants is what I want.”

“…”

“I’m the kind of person who can’t maintain a moderate line once I start to do things my own way. So, that is also a path for me.”

“Whatever you wish for, I will always be by your side, Young Master.”

Lian’s eyes, as he smiled strangely while contorting his face at Larry’s answer, were still fixed on his brother above the gorge.

- Live… like a human… Lian.

- Excessive… greed… ruins… a person.

- Be wary. Of yourself. Of greed.

My foolish, no, benevolent brother who had given me sage-like advice since I was very young.

Sometimes he didn't seem to understand the meaning of his own words, but his brother's advice had been an excellent guide for him during his wandering childhood.

“But my brother is different.”

“Yes?”

“He doesn’t desire that much, but many things come to him on their own.

Even myths like this come to his side.”

And I, too…

“A person who overcame and conquered the ruthless trials he faced from birth with his own strength.

Doesn’t that sound like a familiar story?”

“…”

“My brother will become a hero. I’m certain of it now.”

“The Young Master is also more than…”

“You know, Larry, right?

I can pretend to be a hero, but I can’t become a real one.”

“…But you will become a wiser monarch than anyone else.”

“Hm?”

At the unexpected answer, Lian turned his head for the first time and stared at his first knight.

And he chuckled, seeing those loyal eyes that showed no hint of flattery.

“...Yes, I suppose so. But it’s not time yet.

There are still three years until I become an adult and can act under my own name.”

“Until then, you will be able to build a more solid foundation.”

“In the meantime, my brother will fly far, far away.”

“……Yes?”

- Father! Over there, beyond the mountain…!

- What!?

- Bring the soldiers. We’ll start cleaning up from over there…!

- This brat is now ordering his father around with his finger….

- That’s not what’s important right now…!

Pfft.

“I was going to be my brother’s umbrella, but I might end up riding on his name instead.”

“Young Master?”

“Well…. That’s not so bad either.

No, it’s actually good. Maybe thanks to that, I too…”

Along with Lian’s smile, the situation in the gorge began to be quickly sorted out.

* * *

The dragon’s gift(?) was larger in scale than expected.

From the gorge at the entrance of the northern mountain range to the two mountain peaks above it, all the monsters that had even a little bit of demonic energy were completely annihilated.

And that naturally led to a sharp decrease in the number of monsters coming down towards Drasen along the gorge.

This winter’s monster wave was practically over!

It became a hot topic in Drasen, and naturally led to Muno’s fame.

Since Muno was the only one who had seen the dragon, rumors spread that he had dealt with all the monsters.

As a result.

“Long live the Black Knight!”

“Black Knight Young Master!”

“Long live Young Master Muno!”

The Drasen forces, carrying a large amount of monster by-products on an endless train of carts.

The cheers of the domain residents for those forces were mostly focused on Muno at the front.

Of course, the person in question was not very pleased.

“Ugh, so embarrassing…. A Black Knight…”

“You should be used to it by now, shouldn’t you?”

“It’s embarrassing to receive such cheers for something I didn’t even do in the first place.”

“It’s no different from you having done it.

You can be proud of it.”

Ryan smiled and patted his son’s shoulder.

Pureuk!

The horse Muno was riding staggered slightly at just that.

“Well, I’ll be?”

“It’s about to collapse.

That’s why I said I would just walk.”

“How much do you weigh right now?”

“I don’t know exactly, but probably similar to it?”

“What?!”

“It’s walking with something its own weight on its back, I’m telling you. So…”

“But the formality…. How about you take off that armor?”

“Even if I remove the armor, the weight is the same. Look.

It’s foaming at the mouth just from walking from the outer castle.

I’ll get off as soon as we enter the inner castle.

Anyway, the monster corpse cleanup is all done now.”

“Keung. Alright.”

“I’m going to rest for a while now.

I’m going to rest crazily and intensely, for a long, long time.”

“…Alright.”

Ryan could only nod his head with a bitter smile at that absurd combination of words.

And Muno, as he had promised, just rolled around in his room for three whole days and nights.

* * *

“Twaaa~~~pum.”

Blink. Blink.

Muno felt his whole body ache as soon as he woke up in the morning.

A weariness that didn’t go away even after a long, deep stretch and a yawn.

“Did I rest too much…”

Teudeuk.

Woodeudeuk.

It seemed like it was the first time in his past and present lives that he had learned that pain could arise in the body just from resting.

But he was satisfied.

His mind, which had felt like it was becoming completely exhausted after crossing the line between life and death several times and experiencing major events in the past few months, now felt like it had been revived, soft and tender.

‘Now, shall I start moving?’

He had planned to just eat and sleep in his room for about a week.

But it seemed that just rolling around was not suited to his constitution.

“Heave-ho!”

Kung.

He jumped out of bed cheerfully.

Kiiii.

The door opened with perfect timing.

“Uwaa! Young Master! If you jump and lie down like that again, the bed…!”

“I’m not sleeping! I’m up!”

“……Yes?”

Seeing Esna’s blank expression, the absurd memory of him excitedly jumping and throwing his body onto the bed three days ago, and shattering the bed he had grown fond of for 10 years, flashed through his mind.

‘It’s a good thing the building is made of stone.’

Muno cleared his throat, tapped the sturdy bed that had been replaced, and then looked at the food cart Esna had brought in.

Warm food with a savory smell.

“Give me food. I’ll eat and then train.”

“You’re not going to roll around anymore?”

“Yeah. It’s enough.”

“Yay~!”

“You’re that happy?”

“Of course! It’s not like I’m raising a pig, eating, sleeping, and pooping for three days….

Ahem, hm. I’m not saying the Young Master is a pig. Hm.”

“You really should watch your mouth elsewhere.

I’m letting it slide because it’s me.”

“I only do this to you, Young Master. Hmph.”

Pfft.

As he bickered with Esna, he thought that this daily life itself was enjoyable and happy.

So to protect it, even more…

“I have to train.”

“Yes?”

“No. Let’s eat first.”

“Yep! Please sit at the table!

The washing water is here, the meat is here…”

Tak tak tak.

The food piling up in front of him was also a kind of happiness.

‘Sometimes I want to eat ramen or kimchi, but…’

Wishing for that here would be too big of a dream.

Muno shook off his small disappointment and picked up his utensils.

* * *

Paaaaaaang!

“Is that Spirit Arts mimicking Slayer?”

Ryan let out a hollow laugh, looking at the Two-handed sword that looked exactly like his beloved sword.

“Yes. It won’t be easy, Father.”

“Right. It looks like it.”

It took three days to clean up the dragon's gift, and another three days passed while Muno was resting.

In the meantime, his father had fortunately recovered safely.

And the son, who wanted to confirm his healthy father's appearance and the power of a 5-Star knight, and the father, who wanted to confirm his son's achievements, naturally entered a spar.

As a result.

“Slow!”

Paaaaaaang!

…Father is fast. Heomi.

Muno felt the blade of Slayer brush past his ear again and hurriedly released his chains.

‘Even though he’s not using Slayer’s ability.’

His father’s speed was in no way inferior to that of the magic knight, Collid, whom he had seen in Trian.

On top of that.

Kwang!

“Ugh!”

His strength also clearly surpassed that old man’s.

“The fact that you feel pain when your armor is cut is a weakness!

Master the way to deflect attacks with your armor!”

“That’s easier said than done…!”

Jjeoeeok!

The moment he barely dodged the sword strike, seeing the training ground floor crack, Muno shouted without realizing it.

“Ah, what are you doing trying to actually cut me!

I told you it hurts a lot! It feels like my bones are breaking!”

“That’s why you have to practice!”

You have to make an attack that can be deflected for me to practice or not.

“No, really…!”

Kwaaaaaang.

“Eek!”

“Are you just going to dodge like a rat!?”

“Then should I just die!?”

Muno moved three-dimensionally, repeatedly releasing and retracting his chains like four feet, and barely dodged the attacks.

That was the only way to bridge this overwhelming speed difference.

‘I definitely grew a lot…’

Why is it the same as when I first awakened?

“If the armor and chains are like your bones!”

Paaaaaaang!

“The release of the chains or…!”

Kwang!

“...reduce the interval of retraction!”

Kwaaaaaang!

“That’s easier said than done!”

Just like in the previous spar, Muno was still busy dodging his father’s attacks, crawling like a spider on the walls and ceiling of the training ground.

And as a result.

He witnessed a déjà vu-like scene.

“Dodge well. You’ll die if you make a mistake.”

A terrifying aura rose from his father's entire body as he raised Slayer above his head.

“Aish…”

Flash.

The moment Slayer was swung.

He had the illusion that everything in its path was being cut.

‘Space Slicer…’

Perhaps the only difference from before was that he could now read its trajectory and power.

And just as that one strike was about to hit him.

‘Heup!’

Muno’s body slid sideways as if ignoring the inertia of its movement.

Unlike his father, it was a space-slicing, no, space-shortening art that he had realized with his body, not a sword.

The sword strike that passed him at that moment blew away one side of the training ground wall.

Kwaaaaaaaang!

“No, are you really trying to kill your son…!?”

“No, you, how did you…!”

The moment the father and son’s voices were tangled in confusion.

- My loooooord!

A familiar but urgent shout was heard from outside the training ground, and their heads turned at the same time.

What they saw was the old, white-haired butler with his face flushed red.

Before Palmer could say anything, his father hurriedly poured out an excuse-like statement.

“We earned a lot this time, so the repair cost…!”

“That’s, that’s not it!”

“What?”

“A communication came from the royal family, from the royal family!!! Directly!!”

The moment the eyes of the two father and son widened at the same time.

The short vacation was over.