Chapter 10
The Knights of Rondan.
I had encountered them before, after escaping from the Observer. Of course, they didn't break in like this, but appeared when I had completely left the underground prison.
「
[Title: Spoiler) These Knights of Rondan are so damn cool every time I see them.
Knights who kill Outer Gods and are fully armed with equipment made from them. And even that equipment is incredibly stylish. How can you resist this?
Damn, I'm dying.
Comments:
ㄴ The one in armor looks the coolest. I got it later and tried it on, it's the peak of Outer God armor in terms of looks.
ㄴ I like the White Mask lady. Her dual sword drawing and sheathing motion is really badass.
ㄴ The daughter of Mushin is good too. She's big but acts like a small animal, it's cute.
ㄴ Isn't she the only one using an axe? Axes are inefficient, aren't they?
ㄴ What about the Knight Commander?
ㄴ Hey, we don't buy crazy bitches. Please refrain from mentioning her.
」
There were many people in the community who really liked the Knights of Rondan. So much so that you'd occasionally see comments like "The main character appears like a dog lol," saying that these knights were the main body of Snow Castle.
The actual photos that were uploaded showed them looking cool and sophisticated.
I knew that the Knights of Rondan were a stylish group that used weapons and armor made from killed Outer Gods, just as I had imagined.
"...?"
This? Is this the Knights of Rondan I knew?
Of course, considering the Super Chicken Mod, it's natural that the appearance of knights wearing equipment made from Outer Gods would become cute, but...
The stylish Outer God armor was replaced with a teddy bear mascot head, the cool dual swords became plastic swords, and the heavy, dignified axe turned into a toy.
At least to my eyes, I could tell that the former Knights of Rondan had long since disappeared. It might be more realistic to say they were playing knights with toys from an amusement park.
As my astonishment faded, I was on the verge of laughing.
"...This guy, why is he grinning?"
"Y-yeah? Has he reached enlightenment or something...?"
I meant to just think it, but I accidentally laughed. Come on, who wouldn't laugh at someone wearing a teddy bear head and standing in such a serious pose? Of course, it probably only looked that way to me.
"Hey, stop that."
"Eek!"
Meanwhile, Agartha tried to quietly slip away again, but when a knight stopped her by pointing a plastic sword at her, she turned pale and retreated.
What looked like just a toy to my eyes seemed to be something terrifying to Agartha, as she trembled. It was a situation that could cause mental conflict.
The woman in the white mask whispered in Agartha's ear.
"Don't move. If you move even a little, I'll cut you along with your soul. This one eats souls."
"...Hic."
The sword must have been truly threatening, for the usually playful Agartha to even hiccup. Moreover, the Hunter had already voluntarily put down his gun and raised both hands, expressing that he had no will to fight.
Well, that's the normal reaction, but… The problem was that my brain couldn't recognize the seriousness of the situation because of this damn mod.
As I was observing the situation in a daze, the girl wearing a hood and holding a toy axe tapped my shoulder.
I carefully turned my head towards her, and the girl said, trembling:
"Please stay still... I-I'm quite strong, you know? If you resist, I'll have no choice but to hurt you..."
No matter how I look at it, she should be the one in charge, so why is she acting like she's the subordinate? Is she just very timid?
She seemed a bit introverted in the game too, but seeing her in person, she looks even more shriveled up.
Won't you join the Super Chicken Club with me? Of course, even if you join, I won't share this mod. Not that I can anyway.
"Please don't do anything."
Looking at the toy axe pointed this way, it might not be scary, but it would probably hurt terribly if you actually got cut, right? The way it looked made me feel like I could run my finger along the axe blade and not even get a drop of blood.
Honestly, I think I've been lucky so far. If it weren't for the text engraved on the wall and the community posts I had read, it would have been impossible to get this far.
I don't like pain, so I should answer obediently.
"Yes, ma’am!"
When I answered energetically on purpose, she was startled and trembled, showing a timid disposition disproportionate to her size.
How did she survive in a place full of Outer Gods with such a personality? As someone who didn't know the story in detail, I only knew their appearances, not the inside story.
Meanwhile, the man wearing the teddy bear mask came out holding a piece of paper.
"What about the contamination by Outer Gods?"
"We performed the purification ritual, so there's no problem."
It seemed he was trying to read what looked like a prisoner list.
"Prisoner name Agartha. Charges: 3 counts of theft, 2 counts of blackmail, 7 counts of gambling. In addition, numerous attempted crimes suspected."
Agartha's face turned red as if she had heard something embarrassing, and she glanced at me and the Hunter from the corner of her eye.
Wow. Theft, blackmail, gambling? She really was a thief.
I gave Agartha a cold look, and she returned a gaze that seemed to say, 'Is this the time for that?!'
Can't even joke around.
As I was scratching my head, the masked woman aiming the plastic dual swords evaluated:
"Agartha, so it's an alias. I heard there are different levels among thieves, and if she's using an alias, she must be one of those in that lineage."
The timid girl heard the masked woman's words and seemed unable to find words to say, nodding her head a couple of times before forcing out an answer.
"Uh. Um, y-yes, I suppose so."
Agartha's shoulders suddenly started to heave. Thinking that the conversation was going in the wrong direction, she began to move her mouth frantically, speaking incoherently.
"No, that's not it! I'm a completely good thief, you know? Huh? I-if you just let me out of here, I'll really do anything...!"
"Next."
The man in the teddy bear suit cleanly cut off Agartha's words and turned towards the Hunter. It was funny to see Agartha's pupils contract, but it also made me feel a bit sorry for her… Well, it's her own karma, so what can you do?
The teddy bear stood in front of the Hunter and squinted his eyes as he looked at the paper again.
"Prisoner name Hunter. Failure to perform official duties, solo Outer God hunting... disobedience of direct orders from the Imperial Princess?"
The man in the teddy bear mask seemed particularly angry at the words "disobedience of direct orders from the Imperial Princess". It was a part that showed his exceptional loyalty to the Imperial Princess. I knew this from before.
Disobeying the orders of the Imperial Princess, one of the absolute powers in Rondan and the surrounding areas, which is the stage of Snow Castle, was not something that could be done with ordinary guts. It would be something you couldn't complain about even if you were beheaded on the spot.
"Hunter. I've heard the name. You even erased your name to avoid being targeted by Outer Gods, right? Your reputation precedes you in other cities."
The masked woman thoroughly evaluated the Hunter. The Hunter seemed displeased that his personal information had been investigated, clicking his tongue and turning his head away sharply.
"S-scary person."
I thought she was just teasing, but the woman with the axe looked the Hunter up and down and was genuinely trembling in fear. Come on, why are you, who came to execute official duties, scared?
...Honestly, even I, who's on the same side, felt a bit overwhelmed by his presence at first. But once you get to know him, he's just like a grumpy old man.
"Summary execution."
"Vice Captain, that's not what we're here for right now."
The man in the teddy bear suit spoke angrily, but the White Mask woman spoke in a stern voice.
"The Hunter is excellent. He still has value to us."
The man in the teddy bear suit still glared at the Hunter with burning anger in his eyes, but he clicked his tongue and closed his eyes.
"Tch, damn Hunter."
The man in the teddy bear suit seemed to obediently listen to the White Mask woman, only criticizing the Hunter once, as if she might be more than just a team member. If so, that White Mask woman might be something like a squad leader.
The man in the teddy bear suit sighed and started walking towards me. Knowing it was the last one, the man in the teddy bear suit sighed.
So I'm next, as expected. Still, I had hoped that maybe I was caught without being named. Well, it's disappointing.
Alright, since it's come to this, let's hear why I was caught. Honestly, as long as it's not something like public indecency, like running around naked as Agartha mentioned, anything is fine.
As I was thinking that, the man in the teddy bear suit's mouth slowly began to move.
"Prisoner name, Laydan Tanton."
I hope it's something normal. If some major crime comes up here, the Hunter and Agartha might think strangely of me.
If we're not careful, we could be executed on the spot. I don't want that! Getting beaten by a plastic sword, what am I, a spoon murderer?
But often things turn out the opposite of what you hope for, so I was just afraid.
Finally, the man in the teddy bear suit began to recite the rest.
"Mental disorder, Outer God... attempted rape?"
"...Huh?"
A more shocking crime than I expected came out, and I unconsciously let out a voice. My voice echoed, and all other sounds fell silent.
In a situation where everyone's attention was focused on me.
The knights were shocked, their mouths open as they looked at me, Agartha looked at me as if she had seen an inhuman being, and the Hunter looked at me with all the disgust he could muster.
As I couldn't tell if this was really said correctly, the timid girl holding the toy axe revealed her confusion, her mouth trembling.
"W-wow..."
Fuck, that's not it.