Episode 13: Snake Hunt (3)
Demian roamed the city, systematically dismantling every branch of the Black Snake organization.
The members fought back fiercely, but none could stop him.
Now, only the headquarters in the city center remained.
“These thugs have the nerve to set up shop right in the middle of the city. Must be nice.”
Demian made his way toward the Black Snake’s headquarters.
The streets were unusually quiet today.
Merchants had fled, fearing the chaos Demian had unleashed.
“Hmm?”
As he crossed the city square, soldiers suddenly poured out from every alley.
They surrounded Demian, spears pointed at him.
The soldiers, who had remained passive while he destroyed the Black Snake branches, were now on the move.
This could only mean one thing.
“A distinguished guest has arrived.”
Two men approached, flanked by soldiers.
One was old and gaunt, the other young and uncomfortably obese.
“I am Sebastian Baker, governor of Landwalk City!”
The man with the goatee shouted, though his shrill voice lacked any real authority.
“How dare you turn Landwalk City into a mess! Drop your weapons and surrender immediately!”
Demian barely listened, uninterested in who the governor was.
His attention was on the fat man beside the governor.
“Are you Cedric Walker?”
He’d never seen him before, but the organization members had described him as extremely fat.
More than anything, his eyes were filled with a menacing aura that was hard to ignore.
Cedric Walker didn’t respond to Demian’s question. Instead, he pointed at him and shouted at the governor.
“Governor, did you see that? This brute not only ignores your words but also disrespects you. You must execute him to assert your authority.”
“Mr. Walker is right! How dare he ignore the governor of this city! This is unforgivable!”
It seemed Cedric Walker had no intention of speaking with Demian.
“You think you can kill me? You don’t seem capable.”
Demian glanced around at the soldiers.
There were easily over a hundred of them.
But they were just ordinary men, untrained in mana or swordsmanship.
Even a thousand of them wouldn’t be a threat.
“How dare you! What makes you so confident? Do you even realize the magnitude of your actions?”
The governor shouted, his voice rising in anger.
“You’ve not only targeted the life of the esteemed businessman Cedric Walker but also attacked his business, killing dozens of innocent employees! This is an unforgivable crime!”
Demian couldn’t help but chuckle.
The leader of the Black Snake, destined to commit heinous crimes in the future, was being painted as a respectable businessman. It was laughable.
“Beg for forgiveness!”
“I’ll apologize when there’s something to apologize for.”
“You insolent—!”
It was true that Demian had caused chaos today.
But those he killed were not innocent citizens; they were members of the Black Snake.
He had left the ordinary citizens untouched.
“I tried to reason with you, but it seems words won’t work! Don’t blame me for what happens next!”
Sensing a fight was imminent, Demian gripped his sword hilt.
But the soldiers didn’t charge. They stood still. Just as Demian began to wonder why, he felt a murderous intent from behind.
He quickly turned around.
The soldiers parted, revealing a hulking man.
“So, this is the troublemaker.”
As the man approached, the murderous aura grew stronger.
It pounded against Demian’s skin like a torrential downpour.
“A mere boy, huh?”
Their eyes met, and in that instant, Demian understood.
He realized the level this man was on and how powerful he was.
“Young man, I am Robert, the guardian knight of this city.”
A formal knight.
A monster had appeared.
Today, when people think of knights, they think of aura.
But not everyone who can use aura is a knight.
Those who can manifest aura are considered semi-knights.
Only those who can wield it freely are recognized as formal knights.
Manifesting and wielding.
To the average person, the gap between these two might not seem significant.
But in reality, it’s a formidable barrier.
Many reach the level of semi-knight but fail to become formal knights.
“I didn’t expect the city’s guardian knight to step in.”
Even Demian couldn’t take a formal knight lightly.
In his days as a death knight, he could have easily defeated a swordmaster, let alone a formal knight.
But having only recently returned, he hadn’t regained his former strength.
“I feel like running away.”
Robert looked puzzled at Demian’s words.
“Strange. Your words say one thing, but your eyes show no fear.”
Though he couldn’t take him lightly, the outcome wouldn’t change.
It would just be a bit more challenging.
“Are you brave or just foolish?”
“I’m confident.”
“Foolish, then.”
Robert lifted the halberd he had been carrying on his shoulder.
In that moment, his presence spread in all directions.
The air in the square grew heavy.
“Stay right there. I’ll show you exactly what you’re up against.”
Robert took a step forward, the pressure increasing with each step.
But Demian didn’t prepare to face him.
“Too scared to even run?”
Robert said with satisfaction. But Demian wasn’t looking at him.
Instead, he scanned the surroundings as if waiting for someone.
“Where is that Victor? Why isn’t he here yet?”
“Have you lost your mind?”
Robert asked, frowning.
Just then, someone came running across the rooftops in the distance.
The dark figure leaped from a building, landing in front of Demian.
“Hmm?”
Robert frowned, eyeing the intruder.
But the figure was cloaked in a black robe, making it impossible to identify them.
“So, you have an ally!”
Robert swung his halberd at the cloaked figure.
The aura-infused halberd struck, but the figure blocked it with their forearm.
A resounding clang echoed.
Amazingly, the figure wasn’t cut or knocked back.
Instead, the halberd was deflected.
“You blocked my attack?”
Robert muttered in disbelief.
Then, the cloaked figure pushed off the ground.
They lunged forward, throwing a punch.
With a sound like a drum, the large man was sent flying backward.
Robert righted himself in mid-air and landed.
He glared at the cloaked figure.
“Who are you? Reveal yourself!”
The figure pulled back their hood.
To everyone’s surprise, the figure was a woman.
Despite her short hair, her beauty was unmistakable.
But what shocked everyone more was her appearance.
Her hair, eyebrows, even her eyes were all white.
Robert murmured in disbelief.
“A… paladin?”
Paladins accept divine power instead of magic.
As a side effect, their body’s pigments fade, turning them pure white.
The woman’s white hair and eyes were the mark of a paladin.
“Guardian Knight Robert. Lay down your weapon. Otherwise, you’ll be considered an enemy.”
Robert’s eyebrow twitched.
A formal knight is treated as a VIP wherever they go.
But here was a paladin, ordering him around like a subordinate. It was infuriating.
“Damn it.”
But Robert reluctantly released his grip on the halberd.
Defying a paladin’s authority was akin to opposing the church.
The woman then turned to Demian.
“Are you Demian Haxen?”
Demian nodded.
“Yes, I am Demian Haxen.”
“I came after receiving a message from your squire. We received the evidence.”
Demian smiled, relieved that Victor had done his job well.
“The church intends to intervene now.”
The paladin looked around.
“If you’re busy, we can delay.”
Unlike with Robert, the paladin was courteous to Demian.
But Demian shook his head.
“I wouldn’t want to disrupt the church’s proceedings. Do as you wish.”
“Thank you.”
The paladin placed a hand on her chest in gratitude.
Then, she pulled a large glass orb from her robe and smashed it on the ground.
As the orb shattered, light shot into the sky.
The light exploded like fireworks.
“What is that?”
“The sky is filled with light!”
The soldiers watching were terrified, trembling.
Soon, another army appeared in the square.
They wore white armor, wielding shields and maces.
The city’s soldiers were horrified.
“The Inquisition! The church’s Inquisition is here!”
“This can’t be! Why is the church in our city…?”
The church’s army only appears to purge heretics and demons.
They were fanatics willing to sacrifice even their own souls to purge heretics.
“But what’s that over there?”
“There’s a strange guy mixed in, isn’t there?”
Amidst the execution squad stood a scruffy-looking man.
The man waved his arms wildly, shouting toward Demian.
“Master! Masteeer! It’s Victor!”
Victor broke away from the soldiers and dashed over.
“It seems you’ve handled the task I asked of you.”
“Of course! I may not be educated or skilled, but when it comes to errands, I’m your man!”
Victor puffed out his chest, thumping it proudly with a grin.
Demian couldn’t help but chuckle. What a character.
“Soldiers and citizens, listen up!”
At that moment, a holy knight raised his voice.
“The city of Landwalk is under suspicion of colluding with a wanted dark mage!”
The soldiers’ faces turned pale at the announcement.
The Holy Order was notorious for its zero tolerance toward dark mages.
They wouldn’t hesitate to arrest and torture even royalty if necessary.
“While we root out those involved, the Order will take over the city’s administration! If you wish to prove your innocence, participate actively in the Order’s activities.”
The soldiers swallowed hard, not daring to oppose. Better to cooperate than be branded a heretic.
But not everyone shared the soldiers’ sentiments.
“What nonsense is this!”
Governor Sebastian of the city reacted vehemently.
“Landwalk is a city with autonomy recognized by the kingdom! How can the Order claim to manage the city over me, the governor? That’s preposterous!”
“Eradicating vile heretics is the will of the divine. The Order’s authority surpasses that of the kingdom.”
The governor’s protests fell on deaf ears. The Order, which could imprison even royalty, had no reason to fear a mere city governor.
“How dare you speak such words! I will formally protest to the Order…”
“Moreover, you are a prime suspect. We cannot leave the city in the hands of someone who might have collaborated with a dark mage.”
“W-what do you mean? Why would I collude with a dark mage?”
The holy knight pointed to Cedric Walker.
“That man is the one who harbored and supported the dark mage.”
Cedric Walker’s jaw dropped in shock.
“M-Mr. Cedric! Is that true?”
“No, it’s not! Why would I hide and support a dark mage? It’s a false accusation!”
In response, the holy knight pulled out a notebook from his pocket.
“This notebook contains records of the items you procured for the dark mage and their sources.”
“No, I never helped a dark mage!”
“That’s something our investigation will reveal.”
The holy knight paid no heed to Cedric Walker’s protests.
“Governor Sebastian Baker, you mobilized soldiers to protect an accomplice of the dark mage. Thus, you cannot escape suspicion either.”
The knight then pointed to Robert.
“Guardian Knight Robert, you are the same. You took up arms to protect Cedric Walker, and that cannot be overlooked.”
Robert’s face turned ashen at the accusation.
“Soldiers, arrest those two immediately.”