「Due to the trait ‘Perseverance’, you are not restricted in skill acquisition.」
「You have acquired ‘Ferang School Dagger Technique lv1’.」
‘Ah, so this is the level…’
In three hours, I succeeded in acquiring the Ferang School Dagger Technique.
Of course, the Iron Lion Ceremonial Sword Technique as well.
The clumsy swordsmanship skill I originally had disappeared.
It seems the Iron Lion Ceremonial Sword Technique is considered its superior skill.
Finally, I learned proper swordsmanship and even acquired dagger techniques.
I would have been grateful just to get ‘Swordsmanship’, but it even has a name.
Even Pelerian couldn’t say these skills were shabby.
“Damn it, I should have killed those humans beforehand. If it had been crappy swordsmanship, you wouldn’t have messed around with swords…”
‘Don’t worry too much.’
“What nonsense are you spouting again!”
‘I’ll study magic hard too.’
“Tch.”
If you like it, just show that you like it.
As expected, he’s an old man with a really blunt personality.
But I’ve decided to become a magic swordsman.
Pelerian doesn’t need to worry too much.
“Groooo…”
At that moment, the chimera snake let out another cry.
It was an expression of wanting to get up.
It’s whining to leave already after sleeping for only three hours.
Even if I scold it now, it won’t work anymore.
Certainly, the chimera snake was a monster obsessed with just advancing to the continent.
‘Nanaluk!’
I called Nanaluk.
Regrettably, it was already time to say our farewells.
‘Can you climb the gorge?’
“Well, we have no choice. At this rate, we’ll be swept up in the monster wave too.”
I’d like to go with Nanaluk, but I couldn’t hold her back out of my own greed.
She has hundreds of dependents, doesn’t she?
From what I heard, it seems she’s now on a continental expedition with the warriors who can fight.
The remaining non-combat personnel are gathered in the great forest, strengthening the foundation of the kingdom and producing potions and weapons.
Someday, a red storm of goblins might sweep over the continent.
“Let’s meet again!”
There was a regretful light in Nanaluk’s eyes too.
‘Nanaluk, hold out your fist.’
“…Like this?”
Nanaluk held out her fist.
It would have been nice if her tail was free, but it wasn’t.
I bumped my head against Nanaluk’s fist.
‘This is our way of greeting.’
“That’s cool…”
The temperature of friendship is so hot that global warming might occur.
“You’re talking nonsense.”
Pelerian completely ignored it.
Nanaluk jumped down from the chimera snake’s back.
“Well then, let’s depart!”
The goblins stood up.
They politely greeted me without being told to do so.
Some even knelt down and prayed to me.
It seems my status as Ouroboros has risen a lot.
Although Nanaluk had tried to wipe out the humans completely, her attitude had softened considerably.
“I hope you humans survive too.”
Especially the expression of the girl named Rania brightened.
Nanaluk’s appearance was now as clean as any decent human or elf, so she must look cool in her eyes.
“Thank you. For the potions too…”
“They weren’t even mine.”
Nanaluk slightly raised her fist.
It seems she quickly learned the fist bump.
She immediately hit Rania’s forehead.
Thump.
“Aaak.”
Rania clutched her forehead and stepped back.
Zain and Oliver were flustered, but it seems Nanaluk just intended to greet her.
She offered her own forehead too.
“You hit too.”
“O-okay…”
Rania timidly tapped Nanaluk’s forehead.
“Groooo!”
Finally, the chimera snake raised its body.
Seeing this, other monsters also stopped resting.
Now even my control won’t work.
‘Farewell, humans!’
I decided to spare the humans.
‘Hide in the carriage or something. I’ll let you live!’
Nanaluk interpreted my words in a dignified manner.
Then Oliver carried Rania on his back and entered the wreckage of the carriage.
「Using Basic Elemental Magic: Earth lv5.」
I had already pushed the carriage between the rocks earlier.
I even sprinkled dirt on top of it, so it shouldn’t be easily noticeable.
Well, if the monsters find it, there’s nothing we can do, but I’ve done all I can.
“Then, farewell!”
Nanaluk shouted, and the wave started moving again.
Soon, a wave led by the chimera snake will cover the continent.
Chimera snake roared and started to depart.
No, it should have departed.
I didn’t expect it to suddenly do such a thing.
“Groooooo!”
Dozens of tree branches shot out from the back of the roaring chimera.
The goblins screamed and ran away.
However, what the chimera aimed for wasn’t the goblins.
The carriage that I had carefully hidden.
The tree branches wrapped around that carriage where the three humans were hiding.
And just like when it kidnapped me, it lifted the entire carriage onto its back.
“Guooooo!”
It looks satisfied, as if it has obtained a new toy.
You crazy baby tree snake!
Satisfied, the chimera started running again.
The broken carriage was tightly bound by tree branches, so the door couldn’t even open.
Through the gaps in the bars on the window, I made eye contact with Rania.
‘I didn’t order this!’
But now Nanaluk wasn’t by my side.
There was no way to convey that meaning.
One chimera, one white snake, one elf ghost.
And three humans.
Countless monsters.
All running together through the gorge.
==
Gerard Martein.
Commonly known as the Tiger Viscount.
One of the Eight Heroes.
Perhaps because the name of the knight order led by Steel Gunter is the Iron Lion Knights.
Gunter Frihansen and Gerard Martein were portrayed to the public as rivals.
But mentioning that in front of Viscount Gerard would incur his wrath.
Viscount Gerard did not see Gunter as his rival.
Gunter was a commoner-born man without roots, and thus acted as the royal family’s hunting dog.
He even filled his knight order with mercenaries who used to beg somewhere.
On the other hand, Viscount Gerard was from the prestigious Martein family.
How about the Holy Light Knight Order he led?
As the name ‘Holy Knight’ suggests, it’s a traditional knight order recognized by the Church of Light.
When he heard the ominous news that hordes of monsters were rushing towards his territory.
The viscount didn’t hesitate to don his armor.
He summoned the soldiers and called out all the holy knights.
At this rate, the territory would be destroyed by the monster wave.
No one dared to guess the viscount’s feelings.
‘Greyrim has already fallen.’
It was certain.
How could such a tragedy occur so soon after Steel Gunter escorted the viscount’s son-in-law, the lord of Greyrim, to the capital?
‘The cold-hearted viscount who didn’t even listen to his daughter’s plea for help…’
He received several letters from his daughter, but Viscount Gerard didn’t intervene directly.
As a figure who was practically second-in-command in the House of Nobles, he was reluctant to openly oppose the royal family.
The news that came back in return was this monster wave.
The viscountess, Viscount Gerard’s daughter, must be dead. Along with the viscount’s granddaughter.
After finishing the preparations, the place the viscount headed straight for was none other than the church.
The highest-ranking bishop in Martein was preparing a divine oracle.
The viscount walked into that chapel.
He had an imposing physique that was hard to believe for someone in his 60s.
Wearing golden armor on top of that, he made the central aisle of the chapel look narrow.
The bishop stood in front of a huge sun-shaped relief, and Viscount Martein stopped at the bottom of those steps.
“Kneel.”
Viscount Martein knelt on one knee and made the sign of the cross.
The bishop rang a small bell beside him with a ‘ding’.
“Hear this. A divine revelation has come for Gerard Martein, commander of the Light Holy Knight Order, humble servant of God.”
Ding-
“Raise your head.”
The Viscount raised his head.
For dramatic effect, the bishop was surrounded by a halo created by holy magic.
Ding-
“The Knight Order shall clash with numerous monsters.”
An obvious fact.
The monsters were already visible beyond the horizon.
Ding-
“And they shall defeat their leader, the evil serpent.”
The revelation was given.
Viscount Martein stood up without hesitation.
“Excellent!”
His voice thundered throughout the chapel.
It startled the bishop so much that he covered his ears.
“The revelation has been given, we shall be victorious.”
“We shall be victorious!”
The assembled Holy Knights raised their swords and chanted in unison.
Viscount Gerard didn’t suppress his volume as he shouted.
“Let’s go!”
His mana-infused voice finally shattered the stained glass windows of the chapel.
Crash!
Under the shower of multicolored glass shards,
The Viscount and his Holy Knights marched out.