Chapter 89: Aftermath of the Chainman

"Daaamn it!"

Using the dirty feeling as fuel, Muno started charging towards the South Gate Guard again.

And from then on, there were no more attacks from the assassins.

Did they realize that attacking me was useless?

Or.

'Did they run out of forces to mobilize?'

Muno had handed over the bodies of the bastards to the Steel Knights who had appeared on the scene belatedly.

He had to leave the scene in a hurry because he felt sorry seeing their expressions contort in real time as they looked at the broken buildings.

Meanwhile.

'My body is trembling. Damn it.'

Chrrrrk.

This method of movement consumed too much energy, and now even the chains that stretched out were trembling slightly.

'I need to catch a magician quickly...'

Meanwhile, it seemed certain that the time he had wasted dealing with the assassins had given his competitors a chance to get ahead.

Craaack.

As he leaped high into the sky, creating an indelible mark on another chimney.

In what appeared to be the training ground of the South Gate Guard, the 'Silver Something' Holy Knight and someone who looked like the guard commander were already exchanging greetings.

"How in the world..."

Did that Holy Knight come here straight from the guild office, or did he come through the West Gate Guard?

In any case, with his strength gradually draining, he didn't have the luxury to worry about the order.

His whole body was already soaked in cold sweat.

'I'll cut in line for a bit.'

Chrrrrk.

As the gazes of the guard commander and the Holy Knight focused on him in mid-air.

Muno pulled out his chains and extended them towards the bastards exuding demonic energy among the lined-up soldiers.

"What do you think you're...!"

As the guard commander frowned and moved urgently.

The Holy Knight, on the other hand, had a curious expression and his eyes were sparkling.

And.

Thwack.

'Tsk.'

The moment the guard commander's heavy mace struck the two chains extending from his hands.

The two chains that shot out from his feet with a time lag wrapped around the original targets as they were.

Thud.

The moment Muno landed on the ground.

Craaack.

"Aack!"

"How rude...! Hup!?"

Fssssssss.

As the bodies of the evil cultists, whose demonic energy had been absorbed in an instant, began to rot away.

The guard commander, who had been glaring at him, contorted his face like a demon of ill fortune as he looked at the bodies.

"Jimmy! Geron! Damn it!"

Looking at him, Muno quietly calmed his ragged breathing with the energy being absorbed into his body.

"Hooooo."

It was just the origin mana of small fry that couldn't even be used as a growth engine, but at least for now, it was like sweet nectar.

It felt like the energy he had consumed while using his secret techniques in succession and running all the way here was being replenished to some extent.

'Is it because it's origin mana? It's definitely much more efficient in restoring stamina compared to ordinary mana.'

Armor and chains that were like a part of his body, and the ability to restore stamina by devouring those with demonic energy.

'It feels like I've already deviated quite a bit from being human...'

But that was his ability anyway, and if it was a power to eradicate his enemies, he was more than happy.

However, that thought didn't last long.

"Really, really, the servants of the devil are among my own men..."

As the guard commander's roar, which made it hard to tell if he was sad or angry, echoed through the training ground.

The Holy Knight, who had approached him at some point, suddenly asked.

"As expected, it's just as Sir Maier said. Can you really tell just by looking?"

The thin middle-aged Holy Knight's eyes seemed to be filled with curiosity rather than competitiveness.

It made him, who had even cut in line out of a pointless sense of rivalry, feel shabby.

"...For now, yes. I haven't been able to properly check for a Double Veil... Huh?"

As he was answering politely, he felt a strange sensation.

The troops who had reacted belatedly to his and the guard commander's movements.

Among the soldiers who had gathered around the rotting corpses, there was one who felt a little different from the evil cultists who had just been killed.

'No way...'

A sensation he felt only when he was within ten meters of the target.

An extremely disgusting yet appetizing aura, which felt as if it were hidden behind a very thick curtain, was finally detected.

'Demonic energy!'

The moment he was about to reflexively extend his chains.

"Still, would you mind taking a look at the method developed by the temple, Sir Muno?

The more ways we have to deal with the servants of evil, the better."

"Ah... Yes."

He couldn't ignore the Holy Knight's words, whose eyes were sparkling.

At this distance, the bastard wouldn't be able to escape his grasp anyway.

And it was also a chance to see if the temple's method could undo a Double Veil.

"To the seven gods in heaven..."

Flash.

The moment the Silver Knight began to pray.

The holy power, which seemed to be particularly shining, true to his moniker, formed a sphere and spread out in all directions like a wave.

"Hmm..."

Muno unconsciously frowned at the sudden flashbang.

'Six scrolls, three pairs of wings...'

He was surprised once by the fact that there was a Holy Knight who used the 6-winged holy arts.

And he was surprised again when he saw that the faint wave of holy power spread out over 500 meters in all directions, but had no effect on the one with the Double Veil.

"...It's a pity. It seems there are no servants of evil here other than the ones you caught, Sir Muno."

"I'm sorry, but that's not the case."

"Pardon?"

Chrrrrk.

At that moment, Muno's extended chains snatched the magician with the Double Veil who was acting with a nonchalant expression.

"Aack!"

Even so, he was just a 2-Circle.

Among the small fry, he was a slightly bigger small fry.

The origin mana absorbed from the bastard was converted into fairly pure mana, filling Muno's depleted energy and significantly relieving his body's fatigue.

But then.

"Don't kill him!!"

"Huh?"

"We need to keep him alive to find out his connections! Jeric, you dare sell your soul to the devil!?"

Thud!

The South Gate guard commander, with a furious expression, forcibly tore off his chains that were wrapped around the magician.

But even so.

"Kuh... You, you bastard, h-how...!"

The magician, whose circle had already been destroyed and origin mana absorbed, could only glare at the source of his demise and let out his last words.

Thud.

Fssssss.

"Damn it! Daaamn it!"

The South Gate guard commander, who was screaming as he looked at the rotting corpse again.

Like the East Gate guard commander, Turen, this South Gate guard commander also seemed to have great pride in his men and his organization.

But Muno couldn't fully understand his sorrow, nor did he have a way to comfort him.

Just.

"How could this be... Did you also know how to undo the second veil like the Blood Knight?"

Like the Holy Knight in front of him, he could only find a small sense of satisfaction in the fact that he had at least eradicated the enemy.

"...It seems I can only do it when the target is very close. Unfortunately."

It must be because his senses were amplified as his Spirit Arts grew.

'The sense of feeling demonic energy as well?

Ah, that would be natural.'

He adapted the fact with a slightly confused and happy heart and conveyed it.

"Any method that can exterminate the servants of evil is good.

Wahahaha! Thank goodness, thank goodness!"

The Holy Knight simply patted Muno's shoulder joyfully, as if he really had no interest in the contest.

But unlike him.

"Hmm... Then, to the South Gate guard commander..."

"Sir Alfonso. Why?"

"...Could I get a list of those who are on duty after suddenly changing their shifts?"

Muno was certainly thirsty for the contest, or more precisely, for the reward the king would give.

And that day.

Muno achieved the feat of finding and killing forty-nine magicians, including twelve from the South Gate Guard.

Including one 2-Circle magician with another Double Veil.

* * *

"You caught three more than the Blood Knight.

But in reality, you'll receive an even higher evaluation."

"Pardon?"

"The methods of the temple and the royal family seem inferior to your ability, as they have to set a target and 'inspect' it."

"But my ability has the disadvantage that it cannot be shared with others."

"In any case, what His Majesty mentioned was a competition between the three of you, so there will be a suitable reward soon."

"...Thank you. But why are you delivering that message to me in person, Commander?"

At Muno's cautious question, a smile appeared on the face of the commander of the Steel Knightly Order, Paren Glut.

"I think you can guess why, can't you?"

"Well... I wonder? This should be our first meeting? Ha, haha."

Muno wanted to look away from his blue eyes, which felt piercing despite his expression.

But Paren didn't give him a chance.

"Someone has been going around smashing a large amount of property in the capital and putting the repair costs on our knightly order.

How dare he, without even con. sult. ing. me."

Gulp.

A square face that would have looked fierce enough even without the scar that ran from above his right eyebrow to his left lip.

But the pressure emanating from Paren was not just because of his appearance.

'Daaamn it.'

The aura that the fierce-looking middle-aged man, a 6-Star knight, was deliberately emitting was making cold sweat run down Muno's back.

Thanks to that, the ego that had soared high with the rise of his Spirit Arts level was being crushed in real time.

"Well, it was unavoidable in order to defeat those magic soldiers..."

"The bill just came in, and it looks like our knightly order's two-month budget is about to go up in smoke?"

"H-how much is it?"

"Well, about 10,000 gold?"

"What!?"

"That would be about the annual salary of 50 Steel Knights."

Gulp.

The annual salary of 50 knights from the royal family's highest-level knightly order, where even the common knights were 3-Star-level.

...Did I really mess up that much?

"Don't you think that's a bit excessive?"

"No. Not at all.

Do you know how expensive houses are in Ironheart?

You completely destroyed four houses, and there are seventeen houses where you only broke the roofs and chimneys. And..."

"Stop!"

"Hmm?"

"...What do you want?

I don't have that kind of money even if I were to eat and die. Let's negotiate."

Honestly, I don't think I destroyed any houses to the point of being completely ruined.

I felt it was unfair, but seeing Paren's sinister smile since a while ago, it seemed he had other intentions.

So I threw it out there.

"Ah. There is one perfect negotiation proposal."

"Pardon?"

"You join our knightly order.

Then we'll call it even.

I'll even give you treatment equivalent to a Head Knight. How about it?"

"..."

This geezer...

As I was just staring at him with a dumbfounded look, Paren made an awkward expression with his fierce face.

"As I thought, it's not working. Well, it was a joke.

Half a joke."

"As I thought... Huh? Half a joke?"

"When His Majesty calls for you, please mention the matter of the costs.

Then it will be resolved. Otherwise..."

"Ah... Otherwise?"

"We'll have to send the bill, I suppose, probably to Drasen?"

...Drasen's annual budget is less than 5,000 gold.

In other words, the moment they receive the bill, they go bankrupt.

"Or you could join the Steel Knightly Order."

Damn it, why did I do that?

I felt like slapping my past self who had been joyfully flying between the buildings.

"I will definitely, definitely... No, I will tell him. I will."

If the king didn't take care of the costs, I would have to raise the money by selling whatever reward I received.

'From now on, Chain-man is sealed. Damn it!'

I felt like I was about to cry tears of blood, but Paren's words were not over yet.

"Hmm. Hmm. Right, you should. But in truth, I came here pretty much just to see your face.

There aren't many operations where that friend of mine, Anthony, has personally taken the lead and been thwarted, and this is one of them."

"Eh..."

"And the atmosphere has become a bit grim, so we're in the process of making you a hero to smooth things over."

"...Pardon?"

Making... a hero?

Why?