I Am a Ruined Noble of a Ruined Kingdom

Chapter 26: This is... The Protagonist?

Tingle-

From the wrist to the elbow, from the elbow to the shoulder. Pain like lightning flowing through the nerves, from the wrist to the elbow, the elbow to the shoulder, and then to the abdomen and lower body, dominated my entire body.

"Ugh."

Heaven Split required a great burden on the body as it was Iruealfi's unique skill. I had to put aside the idea of ​​fully demonstrating my skills for a while.

The recovery would have been a little faster if I had cast it on a narrow range, but unfortunately, the capital was wide. I did my best because I judged that it would be difficult to handle with the knights gathered at the Imperial Palace.

Even if the function of my body was greatly degraded, I was confident that I could protect the Imperial Palace unless the Chester family had evil intentions.

"Arrogance... is it?"

I couldn't deny that I had lost the standard of normality by being with Netionpies... Nephi. How many times did I worry that Holy Memory, the guardian ability, would break whenever evil energy surged?

The dull-witted Nephi probably didn't notice. I've been repairing Holy Memory whenever I had the chance when I was by his side.

"I wonder if Nephi is doing well... I'm frustrated because there are no documents about spirits, so I can't refer to them."

Nephi said that Zicharun's identity was the last remaining spirit in the world. A statement that seemed to imply that there was no other option. Shouldn't it be normal to suspect it at least once if it's information revealed by the enemy?

Iruealfi sat on the railing outside the main palace and pondered.

'The existence of spirits is also a problem, but also the means to rise simultaneously in the capital. It's like he's using space leap.'

Iruealfi associated the mysterious rising with the authority of the saint that she had seen in the literature.

Later generations recorded the time when Nephi was sealed as the age of great chaos. And one of the two people who contributed greatly to imprisoning Nephi in the Great Cavern at that time was the saint.

She used to supply the imperial family with a unique authority to interfere with space, and that was a relic that connects two installed spaces at once - a disposable portal.

'There is no remaining stock left in the Imperial Palace now... There is no way the Fayta Dukedom can get it.'

It's frustrating.

It would have been an easy problem to solve if I could have followed Nephi. Zicharun's power is unknown, but at least if I cooperated with Nephi, I would definitely be able to subdue him.

I didn't know that being stuck in the Imperial Palace due to various restrictions would be so unsettling.

Iruealfi quickly shook her head.

'Let's trust Nephi. Because I made that decision.'

She made up her mind firmly and quietly broadened her magic sense. It was quite a tiring task because of the aftermath of the sword she had swung towards the capital.

It was then.

An unknown noise was captured in Iruealfi's ears as she felt throughout the Imperial Palace while sweating.

Shureureuk.

Iruealfi instinctively turned her gaze to the source of the noise.

"Fayta's carriage?"

It was the two carriages that had been taken from the Fayta Dukedom when Troff was taken into custody. Iruealfi couldn't help but be shocked when she recognized this.

"The number of people is increasing...? How!?"

People start to grow one by one from the carriage. To feel it with magic sense, it was like the feeling of life being conceived in a vacuum.

Sarak, sarak.

About ten people walked out of the carriage, suppressing their voices. They were all wearing black robes, covering their bodies, and black masks with only their eyes barely pierced through.

Goodwill... There's no way there would be any.

Iruealfi grabbed her ceremonial sword and took a stance.

Tingle-

"Kuh...!"

A sharp pain like lightning struck her entire body. She had intended to hide it as much as possible, but the black-clad strangers, as if they had seen it from her expression, took out sharp blades and strode forward.

The strangers, who surrounded her in a circle with her at the center, were empty. They were like inanimate beings with no presence or emotion felt without magic sense. Unless she came out and saw them directly, no one in the Imperial Palace would recognize the confrontation in front of the main palace.

"..."

In the silence where her throat became rough, they rushed in agilely.

Swaeek!

A chilling tearing sound like a whip! An intangible slash that ignored the distance poured in.

Chaeng-!

"... Fayta has properly harbored poison."

The masked strangers only hesitated a little, but they reliably defended against her slash. They were probably a small elite force with high skills.

'Judging by the fact that they're not panicking, it seems like they've deduced my power to some extent, ugh.'

Tingle- Tingle-

'My body will be ruined, but... I have to overdo it a little!'

Iruealfi braced herself and rushed into the black group like a whirlwind.

◇

"Zicharuuuuuun! You damn bastard! Who told you to hole up in a place like this!!!"

While spewing out harsh profanity without a care, I arrived in front of the entrance to the Great Cavern.

Seriously damn it, seriously crazy, seriously damn it! Why did the place to operate have to be the Great Cavern? It was a nightmarish place of memories that was desolate, cold, and humid, and where I had to grope in front of me when I was first possessed.

If Iruealfi hadn't released my seal, I would have been trapped in a place like this until now, and my heart would have stopped. As a reward, I can endure having my arms, legs, and waist cut off.

Zicharun revealed himself from the shade at the shout that echoed in the Great Cavern.

"You... You should have died. Even if you hadn't died, you couldn't be so fine now. But this is..."

Wasn't he looking too neat? Zicharun swallowed his question.

Zicharun's face, walking slowly from the shade to the sunlight, looked stuffy as it was covered with a large hood.

He asked.

"No, in the first place, how did you find me?"

"I want to ask you that. How did you get here in such a short time? It's like you did a space leap."

"... There's no reason to tell you."

"Oh, same here."

While countering with the argument of mutual recrimination, I spotted the bloodstains on Zicharun's hood.

'I see. The blood I shed in the dugout must have accidentally gotten on Zicharun.'

The tracking method that Netionpies had taught me was related to the blood on the hood. I didn't know that the special ability to know the location of the fallen body parts would be applied this far. I didn't think it would treat even a handful of blood as a part of the body.

The wound in the dugout acted as a good thing, there is no saying what may happen in life.

"... You, what's your identity? I don't know anyone like you. If there was, there's no way I wouldn't have heard of you."

"What the hell are you barking about? Do you know all the people in the world? Do you even know who the son of the village chief of Sitris Village is?"

"I don't know."

"Oh, I don't know either."

"..."

Perhaps it was because he heard the correct theory, Zicharun's mouth closed. I roughly know the nuances of the topic he wants to ask, but there is no need to have a questionnaire one by one.

'But this guy, hasn't his atmosphere changed a bit?'

The Zicharun of the first encounter had an arrogant and energetic aspect, while the current Zicharun gives a somewhat calm and serene impression.

'In the original story, he was close to being unrestrained.'

Just like when we first talked.

He wouldn't have been silent like a sinner struck by an epiphany, unless he had dismissed my eloquence as sophistry and ran to cut off my neck first.

While he was worrying with eyes full of suspicion, Zicharun asked me in a calm voice.

"Do you have a deep acquaintance with Charles Milote?"

"No. If I had to say, it's the feeling of a friend of a friend."

"Then why... Even though you can't be a match. Knowing that, why did you come all the way here?"

"Don't do that too much knowing it. I can guess to some extent that Iruealfi is the goal, right? Stop asking unilaterally. You don't answer my questions."

I took the form of warming up by turning my wrists and neck from side to side.

"And who can't be a match? You insignificant brat. I'll show you the sky above the sky today, so look forward to it."

"... I can't help it. I really hate it, though."

Zicharun drew his sword.

"This time, you'll have to die."

Puhwak!

Red heat haze rises from Zicharun's entire body. The unique energy of the race called 'Blood of Spirits'. The power of the tremendous heat, which lightly enveloped the Fayta Dukedom, was embodied in his small body.

Unlike Iruealfi's ceremonial sword, the sharp blade glows ominously as if it contained blood.

"Ssssseuuuuueuuuuup~~~ Hooouuu~~~!"

On the other hand, all I was doing was an unremarkable deep breath. There was no defensive stance taken in front of the adversary.

Well, because there's no need for it.

There was no reason to take such a grand hand gesture to show the sky above the sky. Because I have a hidden card that has risen to the skies of the Empire!

I opened my mouth quietly.

"Hey, old man. You're standing in front of the insignificant brat you talked about. Why don't you try fighting me once?"

"Have you lost your mind?"

It was truly a dull response that was unlike Zicharun. Honestly, I also think it's a little embarrassing. Nonsense in this situation. It's common to think you're a psychopath.

But I had long since thrown away my shame to prevent Iruealfi's corruption.

It was by no means a melancholic reason like affection.

If she becomes a Destroyer, the empire and whatever, she will beat up me, the hated Founding Noble of the Empire, first. What can't I do to survive?

"..."

"..."

Silence.

Zicharun was wary because he didn't know what tricks I was going to use, and I was sweating slightly at Netionpies's silence.

"Yo, old man?"

"... I paid too much attention to the nonsense of a deluded person!"

Zicharun took a step on the ground like a fire bomb, wearing a vivid red energy. I was flustered and ended up using the evil energy I had stored in Holy Memory.

Crack- Crack-

Blue cracks gradually widen the area from the surface of the skin. Eventually, the cracks spread all over the body and scattered like shattered glass.

Shaaaaaaa!

Evil energy, like fog, that was unpleasantly dark and gloomy, began to rampage around me.

While Zicharun took a step back at the unexpected ominous energy, I managed to shout that declaration.

"Old maaaaaaaan!!! Come out right nowwww!!! If you don't come out, I'm going to take off all my clothes and do the JeX Tu dance on top of the fountain in the center square of Eldrionnnnn!!!"

[You crazy kid!?]

"Oh."

... The effect was dramatic.

The hurried emotion of Netionpies in the mental world rushing out barefoot must have been my imagination.

Yes, it certainly will be.