Chapter 9
“Sir Godfrey is said to be here. Do not let your guard down.”
At their Liege Lord’s words, everyone nodded with tense expressions. No one uttered the obvious question, ‘*Isn’t it just one person, after all?*’
For the reputation of the Knight of Prophecy was known to anyone who lived by the sword on the Continent.
It was an era dominated by faith and an equally strong superstition. Anyone who had witnessed Godfrey fight even once couldn't help but feel awe.
He avoided attacks without seeing them, every Assassination Attempt against him failed, and his offense and defense were always one step ahead of his opponent.
He had never recorded a single defeat, even in tournaments where strategy was crucial. Thanks to this, before earning the title of Knight of Prophecy, he was known as *Invincible Godfrey*.
To some, he must have seemed like someone who received a divine blessing, or even divine favoritism.
“We’re going in immediately. Stand aside, Dawson.”
The Subordinate, who had been leading with a buckler, stepped back.
Marcus and Aaron, clad in Metal Armor, exchanged glances.
“Let’s go!”
Aaron swung his mace, breaking the old latch, and delivered a Body Slam.
*CRASH!*
A foul stench wafted out from beyond the collapsing door.
As one descended into the underground space, an Iron Bar Prison built into the wall came into view. Maria, the Young Lady, and two Handmaidens lay sprawled, deeply asleep.
‘*Young Lady!*’
‘*Maria!*’
Marcus’s group swallowed its shouts internally. This was because a sturdy man in dark monastic robes stood before it.
* * *
Eugene felt as if he’d been struck by lightning. Focusing his hearing, he could hear multiple footsteps heading straight for him.
‘*Could I have been discovered?*’
That was his first thought. Perhaps someone else knew about the Secret Passage besides him.
‘*No, that can’t be.*’
Eugene dismissed the hypothesis.
It was a secret passage that one would only find by practically living in the foul Monastery Basement. Moreover, if the Monastery had known of its existence, it would have sealed it long ago.
*CRASH!*
The door shattered, and two Heavily Armored Knights and several Soldiers burst in, their faces filled with murderous intent. Even in the darkness, their glowing red eyes converged on Eugene.
“So there was a Jailer,” Marcus said, looking at Eugene.
“I’m not a Jailer—” “You, Jailer! If you want to live, hand over the key!” Aaron shouted, pointing his mace at Eugene.
“I’m not a Jailer—”
“You fool! Do you need your limbs broken to come to your senses?!”
“Listen when someone’s talking!”
Before Eugene could finish his sentence, Aaron charged forward, followed by two Soldiers.
‘*Knights, honestly. Why do they even have ears?*’
Eugene was a unique case; most Knights in this world did things their own way. They had a predetermined answer they wanted to hear, and they would simply badger until they got it.
Of course, Marcus’s group was in Enemy Territory, and they had women to rescue, so some allowance could be made for their haste.
‘*Damn it. There are too many to fight bare-handed.*’
Due to the incident with Godfrey, he was forbidden from carrying a sword, leaving him in an unarmed state.
*THWACK!*
Eugene pushed off the ground. The shockwave spread the surrounding dust in a circle.
“W-what?!”
Aaron was startled as the distance between them closed instantly. It felt as if an invisible, giant hand had snatched his opponent’s body.
His surprise doubled when Eugene immediately picked up a barrel-sized wooden cask with one hand and hurled it.
*WHOOSH!*
The massive wooden cask flew with a tremendous piercing sound. For a moment, it felt as if the entire front was filled with wood.
“Hmph!”
Aaron swung his mace with all his might, shattering the wooden cask.
Even though it was empty, a bone-jarring impact followed. Aaron didn’t drop his weapon only because he was a truly exceptional Knight.
*THUD!*
However, a Soldier following behind was struck in the cheek by the rebounding mace.
Thanks to his helmet, his cheekbone wasn’t shattered, but he staggered from the immense impact and fell back. He slammed his face into the prison bars and passed out.
Before he could feel sorry, Eugene, hidden among the scattered wood fragments, arrived right in front of Aaron.
‘*Chainmail.*’
The enemy knight wore a surcoat over his armor.
But thanks to his sharpened hearing, he could hear the countless clinking sounds of the interlocking metal rings.
Eugene’s Kick landed squarely on Aaron’s abdomen. Chainmail was good at stopping blades, but weak against overwhelming impact.
“Gah!”
Aaron flew up, hitting a Soldier like a skittle, and crashed into the wall.
He trembled, trying desperately to stand, then slumped sideways, unconscious. A thin stream of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Eugene snatched the shield and mace Aaron had dropped mid-air.
“Aaaargh!”
The lone remaining Soldier of the three who had charged swung his sword, driven by fear.
*CLANG!*
Eugene parried with the mace, shattering the blade and making the Soldier lose his balance.
*CRASH!*
Then, he struck him with the shield, sending him spinning like a top without even a scream.
The Soldier spun three times before collapsing in front of Marcus. His eyes were rolled back, but his chest still rose and fell, indicating he wasn’t dead.
“…”
“…”
Overwhelmed by the sheer force, all the intruders were speechless.
Aaron was the strongest of the six Knights who had dueled Marcus. He was an honorable Knight who had even won a City Tournament. And he was taken down in one blow?
“*These Fanatics were raising a monster.*”
Marcus gritted his teeth and gripped his sword.
Strong men recognize strong men. Marcus realized that the opponent before him was the worst enemy he had ever encountered.
The Soldiers behind him trusted their Liege Lord and readied their weapons, but Marcus wasn’t confident he could defeat this Monastery Knight.
Moreover, he was far too young to be Godfrey. What if Godfrey joined him?
‘*Should I retreat?*’
A Commander who understood defeat was one thing, but one who missed the chance to retreat was the worst. Marcus was torn between the lives of his subordinates and Maria's life.
“That was self-defense.”
At that moment, Eugene’s palms rotated upwards towards the ceiling. The mace and shield rested on them, swaying slightly from side to side.
It was a clear gesture showing he had no intention to fight.
“I’m neither a Jailer nor a Priest. I hate those of the Principal Faith. Anyone, including a Worker, can wear these robes if they live here. You’re the ones who attacked without giving me a chance to answer.”
Eugene presented it again to the intruders, as if stating his case anew that had been rejected by the Young Lady.
Based on the atmosphere and the Soldiers glancing at the Young Lady, it was evident they must have been sent by her Bloodline Family to rescue her.
He didn’t want to needlessly make enemies, so he had merely incapacitated those who attacked, not killed them.
“Sir Marcus.”
“A calm decision, please…”
The Soldiers wanted to negotiate and take the Young Lady without fighting this nightmarish Warrior.
“Who are you, Sir?” Marcus asked after ordering his men to tend to the fallen.
“Eugene Meyer.”
It was a name he had never heard before. Marcus subtly looked back, but everyone shook their heads, indicating they didn’t know him either.
“If your words are true, we also have no desire for a meaningless fight.” “You’ve come to rescue those women, haven’t you?”
Marcus nodded.
This was no time to hide or calculate. It was time to be direct, without bargaining.
“I won’t interfere, so please take them and go.”
Eugene stepped aside and gestured for them to enter.
Marcus hesitated for a moment, then stood before the prison door, and the soldiers hesitantly followed.
“Ugh…”
Aaron, who had been unconscious, shook his head with difficulty. The fact that he was already regaining consciousness showed he was no ordinary Knight.
“Give this to the fallen man there.”
Eugene took two small pills from his pocket and tossed them to the Squire who was helping Aaron up.
“W-what is this?” Unconsciously, the Squire spoke respectfully.
“It’s an effective medicine for internal injury treatment. It will reduce the burden until he reaches a place for proper healing. Take one now and one tomorrow.” “I thank you for your mercy, Sir.” “I apologize for giving you trouble then offering a cure.”
Aaron swallowed the pills without a hint of suspicion. Whether he was honest or foolish, he was a fiery man for taking the medicine so readily, to Eugene’s bewilderment.
The bars, and the door itself, were much sturdier than expected. It wasn’t a lock that could be broken by force.
However, Marcus had a diverse array of talented individuals under him, and a Master Lockpicker was among the subordinates he brought today.
“Dawson, can you open it?” he asked the Subordinate, who had a buckler strapped to his back and was pulling out his Rogue Kit.
“It’s a Triple Lock, so it’s tricky, but I will definitely get it done. Just give me a little time…”
Dawson’s reply was cut short by shouts and the clash of weapons.
“Are there others outside buying us time?” “Yes. They are strong and resilient, so they will hold out long enough,” Marcus replied.
True to the paranoid Principal Religion, the Prison Lock was formidable.
“How dare you crawl in here?! You scoundrels!” “Brothers, fear not death!”
*CLICK-CLACK.*
Sweat poured down the forehead of the Subordinate as he picked the first lock and tackled the second. The already difficult lock, combined with the sounds of fighting outside, made his heart race.
The man in monastic robes standing idly by was also terrifying. He needed to concentrate, but his hands kept trembling.
Eugene sighed.
“It seems I should hurry things along. I’ll help you.”
The faster Marcus’s group left and caused chaos, the easier it would be for Eugene.
“Surely, the key… No. If he had had it, he would have given it to us already.”
Marcus shook his head. If someone watched them struggle to pick a lock, then suddenly offered the key, wouldn’t that person be insane?
“The Senior Priest will have the key. He’s a man who trusts no one but himself.”
Dawson was still stuck on the second stage of the lock.
“Then how do you intend to open it?”
“Like this.”
Eugene grabbed the Iron Bars, where his handprints were already visible.
???
Everyone stared, wondering what this man was about to do.
*KIIIIIIING!*
And the thick Iron Bars bent like taffy, emitting a spine-chilling sound.
‘*I don’t need to worry about the aftermath this time.*’
Since he had to get the women out, Eugene pulled with maximum force, without holding back.
“My goodness!” Aaron muttered, his face blank with shock.
*THUD-THUD-THUD!* *PING-PING-PING!*
The Iron Pins fixed to the ceiling and floor were ripped out and bounced around. One of them struck Marcus’s greave, producing a clear ringing sound.
Beyond just bending them, he tore out three bars entirely, creating a passage large enough for a person to enter.
“I trust that any resentment from our recent skirmish has now vanished.” “I would forget it even if you had cut off my arm, Sir.”
Eugene liked Marcus’s boldness as he calmly spoke and entered. If not for these circumstances, they might have become friends.
“Maria. Wake up. We must escape now.”
While the Soldiers carried the Handmaidens, Marcus tried to rouse the Young Lady. But she lay as if dead, showing no reaction.
“Was her name Maria? A pretty name. She’s in a very deep sleep right now, so waking her won’t do any good. I recommend just carrying her out quickly.” “That’s impossible,” Marcus firmly denied.
His sister had lived a life walking on thin ice in the society of the Nobles of the Night, supporting her incompetent older brother.
“Maria suffers from chronic insomnia.”
*SNORE~.*
“…”
Marcus was flustered by the cute sound emanating from his arms at just the right moment.
“Then our business here is done. I’ll be going first.”
Leaving them behind, Eugene exited the Monastery Basement. He remained wary of Marcus’s group until the very end, just in case, but they showed no sign of harming him.
Only the loud clatter of the shield and mace he dropped echoed just before he left.
* * *
“You impious vampires!” “How dare you come to such a sacred place— *Heeek!*”
The Priest, who had been about to charge vigorously, hastily retreated. He had almost been impaled in the stomach by a spear thrust between the shields.
“Come on in if you dare, you Fanatics!” “Our elder will check the health of your intestines!”
Eugene nodded in approval to the Dhampirs, who were causing a ruckus and confronting the Priests from a distance. Thanks to them, it was the perfect situation for a stealthy escape.
He cleared the Monastery Wall in a single leap, and as he landed, someone ran towards him.
“Homi?”
Homi, running with a welcoming face, handed him his sword.
“You came, worried about my predicament. Thank you.”
Eugene hugged his quick-witted and loyal Squire. His Master was right. Even the best warhorse couldn’t do something like this.
“Let’s go.”
Like it or not, it was time to leave this rural village.