Episode 57: Jacques Noire (3)
Damian’s sword sliced cleanly through Jacques Noire’s neck.
The severed head tumbled to the ground, and the body, now headless, staggered briefly before collapsing.
“A knight shouldn’t let emotions cloud his judgment.”
Thanks to Jacques Noire’s blind rage, Damian had been able to finish him off with ease. Otherwise, the final moments might have been a bit troublesome.
“He’s picked up some strange skills.”
The technique Jacques Noire used at the end was unusual, but Damian had encountered similar explosive power techniques in his past life. As a Death Knight, he had been a walking catastrophe, and many knights had resorted to self-sacrifice to try and stop him. Yet, none of those techniques had shown the sudden surge of power that Jacques Noire’s had.
Especially that last strike—it was terrifying, on par with a high-class warrior.
“I should get out of here quickly.”
The forest was utterly destroyed, and the ground bore massive sword marks. It was impossible that no one would notice such a commotion. The nearby lord would surely send knights to investigate. If they discovered that Damian had killed Jacques Noire, things would get complicated.
But leaving empty-handed wasn’t an option. Damian quickly searched Jacques Noire’s body. There wasn’t much of value—just the sword he used and a pouch at his waist.
Damian examined the sword. Unfortunately, it was just an ordinary iron blade. The pouch, however, was different. It was enchanted with space-expansion magic, appearing small but holding a surprisingly large interior. Such magical items were coveted treasures, though it couldn’t compare to Damian’s spatial ring in terms of size or utility.
He emptied the pouch’s contents: emergency rations, healing potions, gold coins, and two books.
The books were titled “Whirlwind Sword” and “Starburst Elixir,” both techniques Jacques Noire had used. The “Whirlwind Sword” was mostly damaged, but the “Starburst Elixir” was intact.
“Could it contain mana cultivation techniques?”
Damian was in the process of developing his own mana cultivation method and needed as many references as possible. While he had plenty of weapon techniques in his mind, mana cultivation was different—more intricate and complex, acting within the body. Even Damian couldn’t fully steal such techniques.
With hope, he opened the “Whirlwind Sword,” but his face soon fell with disappointment.
“The mana cultivation parts are completely gone.”
The “Whirlwind Sword” was mostly lost, with both the sword techniques and mana cultivation sections missing. Pushing aside his disappointment, Damian opened the “Starburst Elixir.” Unlike the “Whirlwind Sword,” it was intact, but again, it wasn’t what he was looking for.
“Abandon your life, and you shall gain power.”
The phrase on the first page made it clear: this was the self-sacrificial technique Jacques Noire had used at the end.
“I need mana cultivation techniques, not self-destructive methods.”
Damian clicked his tongue in frustration. Still, the “Starburst Elixir” was undoubtedly a remarkable technique. Curious if there was anything useful, he read further.
”…Huh?”
As he read on, Damian sensed something was off. For a self-sacrificial technique, the content was too detailed and complex. He sat down and read the “Starburst Elixir” thoroughly.
”…It’s a mana cultivation technique?”
It was cleverly disguised, but Damian could tell. To someone with only superficial knowledge, it would appear as a self-sacrificial method. The true nature of the “Starburst Elixir” was a high-level mana cultivation technique with unique effects.
“A technique that accumulates mana through combat.”
Unlike traditional methods that absorbed mana while sitting still, this was an active technique that built mana through movement. Such techniques were rare due to their difficulty.
“Not only that… this technique enhances the body.”
The “Starburst Elixir” stored mana in the muscles, which then transformed them, making the body faster and stronger. It was a mana cultivation technique designed to create a body solely for combat.
“To hide such an incredible technique as a self-sacrificial method…”
No wonder Jacques Noire hadn’t realized its true value. Whoever developed it must have had a twisted sense of humor.
“This is a real find.”
With a satisfied smile, Damian stored the “Starburst Elixir” in his spatial ring.
Damian returned to his companions. Staying any longer would risk being discovered by others. He loaded his companions into the carriage.
“Let’s go.”
He used his magic to fuel the horses, and they galloped at a terrifying speed. The carriage shook violently, but his companions remained asleep, thanks to the dark magic he had cast.
“Time to stop.”
Damian halted the carriage in a new forest. He helped his companions out and set up camp as if they had been there all along. By the time he finished, dawn was breaking. He lifted the dark magic from his companions.
“Yawn…”
Abel was the first to wake, stretching and yawning.
“Brother, you’re up already?”
Abel asked, seeing Damian by the fire. Damian added wood to the flames and replied, “The night air was chilly. Want some tea?”
“I’d appreciate it.”
Damian filled a kettle with water and placed it over the fire. Soon, he poured the brewed tea into a metal cup and handed it to Abel.
“Here, drink up.”
“Thank you.”
Abel blew on the tea to cool it and took a sip. Then he noticed something odd.
“Brother, did the forest always look like this?”
The scenery seemed different from what he remembered before falling asleep. Though not a hunter, he sensed something was off.
“Still half-asleep?”
Damian feigned ignorance, and Abel felt embarrassed. It did sound strange, even to him.
But Abel’s suspicion grew as the other two woke up.
“Sir, the forest seems different.”
“What nonsense.”
“The trees seem shorter and thinner than before…”
“A tree’s a tree.”
“True, but…”
Victor, who had just woken up, kept shaking his head.
“Enough chatter, get breakfast ready. I’m hungry.”
“Yes, sir.”
Victor quickly began preparing a simple stew.
“Good morning.”
Olivia Copperhead was the next to wake. She stretched as she stepped out of the carriage.
”…Huh?”
Olivia looked around, puzzled.
“Why does the forest… seem… different?”
With Olivia’s reaction, Abel was convinced.
“Brother.”
“Yes?”
“What did you do this time?”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Don’t play dumb! Three people have already said the scenery is strange!”
Damian raised an eyebrow at Abel’s accusation.
“So what if the scenery’s strange? Do you think I went around trimming trees at night?”
When Damian turned the tables, Abel was at a loss for words.
“Or do you think I moved you all to a different forest overnight? Why would I do such a thing?”
The more Abel thought about it, the more Damian’s words made sense. Why would Damian do something so absurd?
“The forest looks different in the dark and in the light. It’s just an illusion.”
”…Yes.”
“Now stop with the nonsense and get the dishes. It’s time to eat.”
Abel stood up, feeling sheepish, and went to fetch the dishes. Watching him go, Damian murmured to himself.
“Persistence pays off.”
”…”
The paladins who arrived at the scene were speechless.
The forest was utterly destroyed, and the ground bore clear sword marks. It was undeniable evidence of a fierce battle that had taken place the night before.
What shocked the paladins even more was the sight of Jacques Noire’s body, lying on the ground.
”…His head was severed.”
Paladin Thomas spoke, his face filled with shock. According to reports, the nearby lord had heard a loud noise and requested help from other nobles. The church, suspecting it might involve Jacques Noire, had dispatched the paladins immediately.
It hadn’t even been a few hours since they set out.
And yet, Jacques Noire was dead?
For someone to have killed Jacques Noire so swiftly, their skills must have far surpassed his.
“Sir Thomas, who do you think could have killed Jacques Noire?” one of the paladins asked.
Thomas pondered for a moment before responding.
“Jacques Noire was a top-tier middle-class knight. To have taken him down so quickly, the assailant must be…”
Just days ago, Thomas had faced Jacques Noire in battle.
Though they were both middle-class, the difference in their abilities was clear. Jacques Noire had easily outmaneuvered Thomas and then vanished.
Whoever could kill such a man…
“It must have been a high-class knight.”
High-class.
A rank just below the master, who was considered a true superhuman.
While not quite at the master’s level, high-class knights were monstrous enough to earn that title.
A high-class knight would certainly have the skill to kill Jacques Noire.
Yet, the paladins found it hard to accept Thomas’s conclusion.
“But Sir Thomas, if a high-class knight were nearby, we would have known.”
There were only three high-class knights in the entire Apple Kingdom.
If any of them made a move, the whole kingdom would hear of it.
“Perhaps we encountered an unknown high-class knight,” Thomas suggested.
“An unknown… high-class knight?”
“The world is vast, and there are many extraordinary individuals. There have been cases where masters were discovered in remote valleys, so it’s not an entirely unreasonable assumption.”
More than anything, Thomas had a reason to be certain it was a high-class knight.
“And if it wasn’t a high-class knight, who else could have killed Jacques Noire so effortlessly?”
The paladins had no choice but to nod in agreement.
That day, a carrier pigeon flew towards the order, bearing the news of Jacques Noire’s death.