Chapter 41

“Crow’s Nest”

“Haah…! Haah…!”

After driving back the horde of undead that had attacked the Wall—

The Great Raven Knights’ commander Corax, Ian, and the Watchers were running through the snowfield.

“Is that really true?! Young Master Klein is alone…?!”

“He told us not to worry, but there’s no telling what happened. Hurry!”

At Ian’s words, Corax’s steps through the snow became even more frantic.

A massive undead horde numbering in the thousands.

Had Ian not arrived in time, even the Wall itself would have suffered enormous casualties.

But beyond the attack itself, the information brought back by the knights was even more shocking.

“A diversion…? If that’s true, then…!”

Beyond the Wall lay the civilian residential district.

Most of the knights, Watchers, and guards protecting the Wall had been born and raised there.

‘If the necromancers targeted the rear and struck there, the soldiers would have had to… face their own families…!’

Corax shook his head violently, forcing the thought away.

It was the worst possible scenario.

And the Young Master Klein whom he had confined to a guest chamber had predicted it and warned them.

“Please… don’t let us be too late…!”

He knew Klein’s swordsmanship was exceptional.

He also knew the boy wielded the unfamiliar power of necromancy.

But Corax still could not reassure himself.

‘No matter how talented he is, numbers can’t simply be overcome. And if they’re monsters this troublesome…!’

Recalling the undead that had crossed the Wall, Corax clenched his teeth.

Ordinary weapons were useless against them. Only blades infused with magical power could cut undead flesh.

Even a graze from their claws caused severe poisoning, and when killed, their corpses exploded, spraying rotten blood everywhere.

Thousands of those things had attacked at once.

The knights remaining at the Wall were already completely exhausted.

Only Corax, Ian, and a few Watchers had managed to come afterward to aid Klein.

“Commander! It’s here!”

A Watcher carrying a crossbow shouted as he pulled aside a patch of brush.

“There was a tunnel in a place like this?”

“Damn… one wrong step and this could’ve—!”

The tunnel Klein had pointed out.

The moment Corax saw it, his vision nearly went white.

“The smell of blood… dead blood.”

“Tch!”

The first person to leap into the underground passage was Ian.

“It’s dangerous! We don’t know what’s in there—!”

“What could be in there?! Just one half-dead brat!”

Cutting off the Watcher’s warning with a roar, Ian rushed underground.

Corax followed immediately behind him.

“Ghk?!”

The instant they entered, a dense stench of blood filled the air.

Suppressing his anxiety with force, Ian sprinted deeper into the passage.

“You damned nephew… you better not be dead…!”

Repeating those words over and over, he ran for what felt like forever—

Until he finally heard the faint breathing of a young boy.

“You’re… later than I expected.”

Fwoosh.

Only after hearing that voice could Ian finally relax.

Klein was leaning against the cave wall, calling out to him weakly.

Ian scanned the surroundings through magical perception and inhaled sharply.

“You stopped all of this… alone?”

Fifteen gigantic patchwork undead.

Twenty beast-like monsters with bodies the size of wild dogs.

And nearly a hundred zombies—

Along with twenty necromancers controlling them.

“My head got a little too hot… so I overdid it. I used too much demonic energy…”

Klein’s head tilted sideways before he could finish speaking.

Ian hurriedly caught him.

The boy’s shoulders rose and fell faintly with his weak breathing.

“Ian, are you alright?”

The next to enter the tunnel was Commander Corax.

Holding a torch, he stepped into the underground passage—

And became speechless at the sea of blood spread before him.

“He fought a force nearly the size of an entire company… by himself…!”

If it were a one-on-one duel, Corax believed he could defeat Klein.

Even if Klein combined necromancy with swordsmanship, Corax possessed enough magical power and skill to counter them.

But if he himself had been ordered to face that undead army alone?

He could not guarantee victory.

‘Even if I had been here instead of Young Master Klein, I could never have stopped them all.’

He was a knight.

Breaking through enemy lines was possible.

Holding back an entire army was not.

And even if it were possible, the enemy would never allow it.

They would simply distract him with a handful of monsters while sending the rest toward the civilian district.

But Klein was different.

His combat style was that of a one-man army.

A method perfectly specialized for large-scale battles—

One capable of holding back an entire force alone.

If not for him, the civilian district would already have…

“When he wakes up, I suppose we’ll have much to discuss. Don’t you think?”

Carrying the unconscious Klein over his shoulder, Ian stood up.

“…Yes. I believe so.”

Only after a long silence did Corax finally answer.

The hostility that once filled his gaze toward Klein was now nowhere to be found.

When I opened my eyes, the familiar scent of herbs from the temporary infirmary tickled my nose.

“You’re awake!”

At Pie’s hurried voice, I heard someone rush out of the room.

“Ugh… my head…”

I sat up while clutching my throbbing head.

My vision was blurry, as though covered by a black veil, while the haunting cries of the dead pounded endlessly inside my skull.

It was the backlash caused by overusing demonic energy beyond my limits.

‘Looks like I really lost my temper.’

As I traced back my memories, I remembered why I was lying here.

Right.

I heard nonsense about some “Archimonde Cult,” blew my lid, and rampaged around like a mad dog.

Then the recoil hit me, and I blacked out while sitting down…

“C-can you drink this?”

While I was trying to gather my muddled thoughts, Pie held out a cup of herbal tea.

“Yes. Thank you.”

I accepted the cup and took a sip of the warm tea.

The tension gripping my body loosened, and pleasant fatigue washed over me.

“U-um…”

As I quietly enjoyed the rare moment of rest—

Pie suddenly stood up and bowed deeply toward me.

“Th-thank you very much!”

I stared blankly, not understanding.

Pie hurriedly explained.

“The civilian district you protected… my family was there. My mother and younger brother…”

“Ah. I see.”

Only then did I understand.

I waved my hand dismissively and took another sip of tea.

‘Normally I would’ve bragged about it and demanded more praise…’

I stared blankly into the tea.

Those people who turned northerners into undead and attacked the Wall—

They carried my name.

Worshipped me.

Studied my knowledge.

‘If you think about it another way… I’m partly responsible for creating them.’

I knew it was an excessive conclusion.

They were merely obsessed with my fame and power.

What lay inside them was completely different from me.

But I couldn’t simply brush it aside either.

For the people victimized by them, the name “Archimonde” would remain a scar that could never be erased.

I quietly cursed and lowered my teacup.

Creeeak.

“You have awakened, Young Master.”

The wooden door groaned open, and a massive dark figure appeared.

Corax, commander of the Great Raven Knights.

Accompanied by Watchers, the vice commander, and several knights, he approached silently.

The sight of all those men in black leather armor advancing together was overwhelmingly intimidating.

“Alright, alright, I get it! This is about me running off on my own, right? Fine, do whatever you want! Imprison me, exile me—!”

They looked so solemn it felt like they were heading to war.

Just as I finished speaking—

Clang!

With the sound of armored greaves striking the floor, every knight surrounding me suddenly dropped to one knee.

No, seriously.

The healers were like this, and now the knights too?

Why does everyone act before explaining anything?!

“At the cost of your own safety, Young Master, the civilians were spared.”

Speaking on behalf of the kneeling knights, Corax lowered his head.

“For failing to recognize your intentions and confining you… and for attempting to isolate you due to my own narrow-minded judgment…”

“As commander of the Great Raven Knights, I sincerely apologize.”

“…Ah. Well. As long as you understand now.”

I awkwardly accepted his apology with a dry laugh.

So basically—

Ignoring orders, running off, disobeying commands—

They were letting all of it slide.

That alone was more than enough for me.

At least Heinkel wouldn’t have any ammunition against me when I returned.

Just as I thought that—

Shiiing—!

Corax suddenly drew the sword at his waist and offered it to me.

“…What’s this now?”

Still bewildered, I looked at him.

Corax slowly spoke with a hardened expression.

“I know that even apologizing a hundred times would not atone for how we treated the savior of the Wall. Therefore…”

“Therefore?”

At my question, he slowly rolled up his right sleeve and extended his arm.

“Please cut it off.”

You insane bastard, what?!

I stared blankly at the sword in my hand and looked around.

The knights were silent.

The vice commander was silent.

Even Pie—the one person here I thought might stop this—said nothing.

No, she was actually holding bandages and hemostatic medicine while trying not to cry.

‘Wait. Nobody’s stopping this? Do I really have to cut it off?!’

I desperately looked around for Ian—

But naturally, the old man was nowhere to be seen at the important moment.

‘This is driving me insane. What am I supposed to do here…?!’

It didn’t look like refusing would work.

Judging by the atmosphere, if I refused, they looked fully prepared to cut it off themselves.

After agonizing for a long moment while holding Corax’s sword—

‘…Ah. Right. That’ll work.’

An idea flashed through my mind.

I stood up with the sword in hand.

‘God, my head hurts…’

Whether it was the aftereffects of overusing demonic energy, or these insane knights overturning common sense, my head pounded violently.

Clutching my temple, I slowly raised the sword.

Corax closed his eyes in relief.

And then—

CRASH!

The blue-tinted blade pierced straight through the wooden floor.

Pie squeezed her eyes shut at the sound.

But when no flesh was cut and no smell of blood followed, everyone slowly opened their eyes and stared at me.

The sword had pierced the floorboards instead of Corax’s arm.

“There’s nothing for me to gain from cutting off your arm, idiot. I don’t want it.”

Everyone fell speechless at the unexpected outcome.

I lowered myself until my eyes were level with Corax’s and spoke calmly.

“Forget the arm. Just give me something equivalent in return, and we’ll call this matter settled.”

Since I, the person involved, had declared it finished, the knights could no longer object.

“…What is it you want?”

After thinking for a moment, Corax finally asked.

I immediately answered with what came to mind.

“I’m planning to head beyond the Wall.”

“So I’ll need a guide.”