[You have no idea how stifling it was!]
Bark, enveloped in black smoke, let out a hearty laugh and shouted.
[I can finally show you the form of a valiant knight!]
With each beat of Zigore's wings, the black smoke grew denser.
[It's been so long since I last held a sword.]
With a sigh, Minte lightly shook his body. The black smoke shot upwards like flames.
[Hoho, is it because you're all young? So full of vigor.]
[And you, Ganik, are you so old you can barely hold a sword?]
[Tristan, it seems you've forgotten who sharpened your sword for you.]
Glancing at the bickering Ganik and Tristan, Pallides parted the black smoke with his hand.
[I don't understand what's so exciting about this hideous form.]
As the thickly settled black smoke dispersed, my knights revealed themselves, so massive that the clearing, which had felt unusually spacious, now felt packed.
Their builds, sizes, and appearances differed slightly, but they were all the same in their black armor astride black steeds.
And so was the hazy black smoke billowing where their heads should be.
They lined up on either side of me, displaying their formidable majesty. With every slight movement of the knights, the heavy clank of iron armor and a chilling friction sound echoed.
[Since the Captain retrieved the key to Veladia Castle, we feel stronger too!]
Zigore, who had shouted belligerently, pulled on his horse's reins. The black steed he rode stamped its front hooves and snorted.
Even the usually calm and rational Minte seemed excited, swinging his sword a few times in the air to loosen his wrist.
"D-Du, Dullahan...?"
Seeing the faces of the assailants, frozen white, I naturally felt pleased. Standing straight and staring at them, I narrowed my eyes and smiled broadly.
"I thought I'd found a fairly spacious clearing, but it's narrower than expected."
As I spoke calmly, Fressian looked at me with a pale, terrified face. Deep fear was etched in his eyes, which had always been haughty.
"A scourge of evil..."
It was somewhat amusing that they were frozen, not even daring to attempt escape.
'They tried to label me as undead, yet they couldn't imagine a scene like this?'
I tilted my head back and looked up at the sky.
It was a clear sky without a single cloud. A place without large, dense trees, where the pouring sunlight could soak my entire body.
Though it was a dark, damp forest, the circular clearing where my knights and I stood was bright and warm, as if blessed.
"It was hard to find this clearing, so how about showing a more novel reaction?"
"...It's true. An undead who commands real monsters."
The sound of a sword falling to the ground was heard, as if someone had dropped the sword they were holding. To be so terrified just by my knights revealing their true forms.
I found it a bit boring. I had expected them to have some guts, being so confident in surrounding me.
I pouted my lips and sat down on a rock I had spotted earlier. I happened to meet the eyes of a baby Lizardman who was peeking only its head out from the bushes.
"Come here."
The baby Lizardman, blinking its large eyes, came running *dododo* to my side.
[Kyu!]
[Captain, this scene might be too violent to show the child...]
Ganik expressed his concern in a worried voice. I chuckled at Ganik and stroked the baby Lizardman's head as I spoke.
"Then, for the child's eyes, we'll just have to handle it quickly and cleanly."
The baby Lizardman didn't seem to have any intention of hiding in the bushes.
In fact, anticipating this, I had already brought along some meat, finely chopped for the child.
I took out the pouch of meat I had brought and handed it to the baby Lizardman, who promptly settled down right beside me.
It was a bit regrettable that I hadn't brought any snacks for myself, but it was fortunate that at least one of us wouldn't be bored.
"Well then. Shall we bravely face the scourge of evil?"
Crossing my legs and stroking the baby Lizardman, I shifted my gaze to the enemies.
"Ah, of course, you are the evil."
I didn't forget to smile especially at Fressian, standing in the center.
* * *
Samuel, who had been gazing blankly at the quiet and peaceful Lindea River, suddenly raised his eyes.
Across the river, he could see a forest filled with lush, dense trees.
From where Samuel stood, the forest looked as peaceful as the Lindea River. However, Samuel's gaze as he looked at the forest was not.
With his lips pressed into a tight line, Samuel stood still, staring across for a long time.
His hands, clasped behind his back, were clenched so tightly that blood showed through. An indescribable emotion flashed across his face.
As if he wanted to rush out immediately, his legs twitched several times.
But eventually, or in the end.
He did not move a single step from where he stood. He only put force into his innocent fists.
* * *
In truth, there was no need to mobilize all the Dullahans.
Even if we were generous, deploying just two would have been enough to handle everything.
Nevertheless, I summoned all the Dullahans from the bracelet because I was so irritated with Fressian, who had been tailing me and acting as Lilia's errand boy.
Moreover, the resentment from the past, when he had deceived me on Lilia's behalf, was added to it.
"Anyone who sees this will think it was a monster attack."
I got rid of the annoying tail, convinced the Emperor who had foolishly believed the nonsense about magic and whatnot.
I even deliberately broke a few nearby trees plausibly, so anyone discovering this place later would not doubt it was the work of monsters.
And in fact, that's the truth. Dullahans are monsters, right?
"If she has any sense, she won't send people after me now."
With my arms crossed, I stared at the corpses for a moment, then clicked my tongue and turned away.
Since Lilia has no sense, she'll definitely send someone to tail me again. However, finding someone as capable as Fressian will be difficult, so it'll likely be much sloppier and easier to shake off.
It was truly fortunate that I could deal with Fressian, the most troublesome among Lilia's lackeys, in this way.
Moreover, this man had many subordinates planted even in the imperial palace and was someone who had lent a hand during the past struggle for the throne, so I had been inwardly waiting for a chance.
'Now that I've taken out the leader, cleaning up the underlings should be easy.'
So, Heinri should be able to handle that much.
[Minte is still strong as ever, truly my beloved...!]
[Shut up, Bark.]
Minte, who kicked the noisily approaching Bark, looked down at his own sword.
[By the way, they were nothing but numbers.]
Minte, who had been happy to hold a sword after so long, seemed disappointed that the situation ended before he could even swing it a few times.
At Minte's words, Zigore spoke in a prim voice.
[They were nothing but a swarm of ants, just large in number!]
[How dare you belittle ants! Zigore, ants are incredible insects that can lift weights 30 times their own body weight!]
Tristan immediately retorted. Then Pallides interjected in a bewildered voice.
[...Tristan, have you been meeting the queen ant lately?]
[Ah, no... I got lost in an ant nest and accidentally ended up in the queen ant's chamber...]
What on earth does it mean to get lost in an ant nest? And you accidentally ended up in the queen ant's chamber?
How did a bumblebee even get into an ant nest in the first place?
Even to my ears, it was absurd. Ganik, who had long since transformed into a sea turtle and was being held by the baby Lizardman, let out a sigh.
[You shouldn't listen to such useless conversations. You should only listen to good words and grow up.]
[Kyu!]
[By the way, did you eat a lot of meat earlier? You need a balanced diet to be healthy.]
[Kyuu...]
What on earth constitutes a balanced diet for a Lizardman? A variety of meats? Surely they don't eat seaweed too?
My mind was a mess from hearing the Dullahans' idle chatter after so long. Still, I also felt inwardly glad.
Leaving the ice-thin imperial palace or mansion and being out here alone in the forest reminded me of my wandering days.
'It would be perfect if only Xenon and Nessi were here.'
Come to think of it, it's been too long since I last saw Nessi. If Nessi were here, she would have clicked her tongue primly, saying the group was too noisy.
While I was gathering the slowly rising sense of regret, the chattering Dullahans transformed one by one.
Only pitted ground, broken trees, puddles of blood, and cold, stiff corpses remained in the clearing.
Glancing at the tragically transformed clearing, I moved my steps toward the forest.
"Now we need to find Nadav quickly. Tristan, any news from the insects?"
[I actually stopped by a nearby beehive earlier and asked for their cooperation!]
Because of the Dullahans, all the animals in this forest had long since fled. At least the insects remained, so I've been making inquiries through Tristan, but no particularly useful information has come in yet.
"Don't worry, Captain. Nadav must have found another knight and is holding him."
I nodded, agreeing with Pallides's words.
Nadav is serious, so I think if he met a new knight, he would persuade him well and keep him with him.
However, what I'm curious about is the power that put the Empress to sleep. Whether it's the power of the newly appeared knight, or another monster, or a third possibility I hadn't even imagined.
"You said you all became stronger because I retrieved the key to Veladia?"
[Yes! We are the Captain's kin! Of course, we are affected by the Captain's power!]
Zigore, who had been happy earlier about becoming stronger, answered spiritedly. Zigore, who had turned back into a chick, spun around me, eagerly explaining how much stronger he had become.
Listening quietly to his explanation, I slowly parted my lips.
"By any chance, were there any knights who gained the ability to use magic due to my influence?"
The answer to my question came from Minte, who was lying leisurely on Bark's back.
[There is a knight who was temporarily granted a portion of the Captain's power.]
At Minte's words, Zigore exclaimed brightly, as if pleased.
[Ah, Mori!]