Chapter: 270
The sword clenched tightly as it took the hit from Duke Burrow’s strike.
Strong. Way too strong.
It felt like if I even momentarily let my guard down, I’d be sliced clean through.
Truly, Duke Burrow is a top-tier warrior in the kingdom.
A year ago, I wouldn’t have even dared to attempt to withstand this attack.
If it were six months ago, I would have broken while trying to endure this sword.
But I’m different now. Having faced my limits and trained countless times, I wield the sword gifted to me by the Young Lady.
I can receive the Duke’s strikes.
– “A dog raised by the gods.”
Even as the sword was pushed back by sheer strength, the Duke opened his mouth.
His voice was repulsive, as if it would make me gag, sticking to my ears like glue.
– “Do you really think an unfinished pup could defeat me? You will be devoured by darkness without realizing your dreams.”
The dark god’s voice filled my head.
It was a level of mental corruption that would have driven an ordinary person mad.
No matter how great a knight one might be, at this point, they should be lost in confusion.
Yet, there was no sign of wavering in my eyes.
– “Surrender. Beg for your life.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass.”
Being swayed by the dark god’s temptations was hardly knightly.
His heart screamed amidst the darkness to protect his dreams.
And the warm divinity surrounding his heart chased away the darkness, affirming what was right.
“A knight does not change their master once chosen.”
To put it simply.
Lucy Alrn. The Young Lady, to whom I vowed my life, was watching over me.
– “I’m curious. How long can that loyalty last?”
As his voice trailed off, something slimy stretched out from my shadow, trying to grab my ankle.
I sensed it and evaded with the unique footwork of the Alrn family, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.
My movement caused the unsteady balance I barely maintained to collapse.
The balance of swords tipped, and ominous magic invaded my aura.
– “Now, how do you feel?”
A moment of carelessness could’ve meant being consumed by the evil god’s power, yet I still had a smile on my lips.
“Keep getting sticky, but I’m not into that, so it won’t mean anything.”
The Duke bit his lip, and at that moment, the tendons in his hand stood out.
A voice exclaimed from behind me, no longer the disgusting one we heard earlier but rather a clear, beautiful voice that captured everyone’s attention.
“Puhahaha♡ You’ve been dumped!♡ Poor perverted uncle~♡ Are you starting to realize you’re just a flaccid old man with no charm?♡”
At the sound of Lucy’s laughter, the Duke’s head snapped around.
It was as if he completely forgot I was in front of him.
No matter how much of a common knight I was, I was still a knight of the Alrn family.
I wouldn’t be foolish enough to miss such an opportunity.
The moment I moved my sword, the Duke rushed forward in a panic, but there was far too big a gap to respond perfectly.
He allowed a massive gash on his left shoulder.
“…Tch.”
Even though it was a clear hit, my expression wasn’t that great.
Backing away, the Duke evaded the arrow shot by Alsetin, healing his wound in the process.
“Hey, Cal. Are you sure you’re hitting him properly?”
Seeing the Duke seemingly unscathed made Alsetin annoyed.
“I hit him just fine. If it were you, you’d have dropped dead instantly from that.”
“Then why’s that guy still fine?”
“Because he’s fighting dirty.”
If it were just the Duke on his own, it wouldn’t have been a problem at all.
The Duke is strong, but even he would have fallen prey to Lucy’s taunts and made mistakes.
Yet the situation was going unfavorably because the Duke was empowered by the dark god’s magic.
Enhanced physical capabilities and rapid healing that transcended human limits.
Using the power of the evil god for various shenanigans.
And on top of that, deepening mental corruption as time went on.
Had Lucy not declared her domain, we, including myself, would have already been swallowed by darkness if it weren’t for that.
“…Dirty, huh? I can’t deny that, especially when I’m still hearing all that crap in my head.”
“What’s the problem?”
“But when it comes to dirtiness, we’re not so different.”
Alsetin pointed at the Duke, glaring at Lucy and the area she occupied.
“Why are you glaring?♡ Is it to vent your frustrations on this cute little girl?♡ What a thought fitting for a creepy trash bag~♡ But it won’t work!♡ My shield isn’t weak enough to let you through, Erectile Dysfunction Duke!♡”
With whimsical words designed to provoke and draw attention from the enemy.
The strategy was undoubtedly effective, though Alsetin didn’t consider it an honorable way of doing things.
However, Cal thought otherwise.
“What nonsense is that? What’s shameful about risking your life to divert a strong opponent’s gaze to protect your comrades?”
As Cal firmly readjusted his grip on his sword, Alsetin chuckled lightly.
“Ha. I expected that from you.”
Both had plenty to say to each other, but they couldn’t articulate it.
Because the next phase of battle was about to begin.
*
With a twisted expression, Duke Burrow unleashed his blade against me.
Ugh, he’s seriously ridiculous!
My arm carrying the shield was hurting like hell, feeling like it was fractured from the blows since earlier?!
Normally, I would have used Armadi’s touch to recover from the damage, but not right now.
Maintaining this divine domain was tough enough; there was no way I could afford to use healing right now!
“What the hell are you doing attacking a girl when you’re flaccid?♡ Doesn’t that make you just a pathetic loser?♡ Erectile Dysfunction Duke?♡”
I bit my lip, throwing yet another taunt. The Duke swung his sword again.
As I blocked his strike with my shield, pain shot through my bones straight to my brain.
“Lady!”
Cal rushed in to free me from the Duke’s grasp, using the opportunity to pull a potion from his bag and drink it.
As the once-fractured bone knit back together, shooting pain made me tear up, but I bit down, stifling my scream.
Damn it. Why hasn’t Duke Burrow woken up?
Does he think he’s some kind of princess? Should I kiss him like a prince in cosplay to wake him up?
Ha, I’m really losing it!
This situation was dire enough that, despite not holding back, my taunts didn’t seem to faze Duke Burrow.
But they were not entirely without effect.
Taliki’s voice was no longer ringing in his head as often, and it seemed he wasn’t using the evil god’s powers like before.
So the brainwash was clearly weakening.
But if that guy doesn’t wake up, it won’t matter!
Spotting the moment when Cal and Alsetin locked down the Duke, I checked my surroundings.
Phoebe and Johan were steadily preparing for miracles amidst the chaos.
According to Grandpa’s judgment, the source of that miracle seemed to be about 80% complete.
[It’s too late. By now, it should have already been finished.]
‘Blame it on the evil god being stronger than we thought.’
Even with the divine domain keeping darkness at bay, Cal and Alsetin were already feeling the mental corruption.
Phoebe and Johan couldn’t possibly be doing perfectly either.
[Even so…]
‘It’s fine. If there’s no issue, all we need to do is put in the effort on this side.’
With that thought, I looked back at the Clumsy Fox, noticing sweat pouring down her face.
Though undeniably one of the stronger ones, she was still at a considerable disadvantage against an evil god.
The forest’s master was locked in a battle of strength against the evil god and might soon reach her limit.
…Isn’t it time to drop the niceties?
I bit my lip, tasting the blood seeping out, and pulled a glass vial from my inventory, tossing it to the Clumsy Fox.
“Here, Young Lady. What’s this?”
‘A gift.’
“It’s a present for the weak Clumsy Fox.”
A potion that quickly revives any energy, be it divine or magical, possessed by the player.
Originally, I had prepared it for when we entered the Burrow mansion, but right now wasn’t the time to think like that.
“…Thank you for the precious gift.”
The Clumsy Fox smiled, lifting her shield.
Even if we continued this standoff, there was no guarantee we could hold out until the miracle was complete.
The enemy’s vitality was infinite while ours continually drained away. Even if we managed to hold the line for now, it’d eventually collapse.
Sigh. Until now, I was trying to avoid crossing the final line, but with the situation as it is, I have no choice.
Duke Burrow. Is this all happening because you slept too much?
You better not hold a grudge against me for saying that later!
Taking a deep breath, I gathered the limited divine energy in my lungs and let it out alongside my voice.
“Erectile Dysfunction Duke♡”
The Duke, locked in his standoff with Cal, fixed his gaze on me. The red fury in his eyes was pure.
“Your son was a disgrace but died trying to save people—bless his poor soul♡ But what about you?♡ Swinging your sword at the guy who dumped you?♡ Taking out your anger on a girl?♡ What do you think your son would think if he saw this?♡ Huh?♡”
As I spoke, the redness in his eyes thickened and became stickier like his unresolved emotions.
“No answer?♡ Aha, you can’t?♡ You’re scared of the same wounds if you open your heart again?♡ You’re terrified of imagining your son’s replies, aren’t you?♡”
The Duke, glaring at me, swung his sword to fend off Cal and Alsetin.
I thought he would come charging at me, so I gripped my shield tightly, but no.
He was just staring at me.
“Am I wrong?♡ You were so afraid of seeing your son’s belongings that you just sold everything, weren’t you?♡”
“…Shut up!”
In my tension, I managed to blurt out one more thing, and for the first time, the Duke raised his voice.
“Cowardly, weak-hearted coward duke!♡”
“Shut up, I said!”
Good. Cracks were forming in the Duke’s brainwashing.
Just a little more. Just a little more, and I can push this further.
If I can get him mad enough, he’ll shake off the brainwashing.
After all this time siphoning my taunts, countless ways to rile him had popped into my head.
While all of them seemed like they’d provoke him, my gut said there was only one optimal and riskiest method.
“Even with this old face, can you see this?♡”
I moved to the side, showing a necklace I pulled from my inventory to the Duke.
“Say hello♡ This pitiful thing left behind when your pathetic son died for nothing….”
“Your souuuuuuuuuuunnn!”
My words couldn’t finish.
Before I could close my mouth, the Duke lunged forward, filled with rage.
What radiated from his sword wasn’t the evil god’s power but a brownish aura.
Ha, wake up, sleepyhead uncle. You should’ve risen a bit earlier.
If you had, I wouldn’t be saying this.
And by the way, you might want to look around when you’re up.
Otherwise, you never know what might come crashing down from behind you.
Crack!
Seizing the opening he presented, I whacked the back of the Duke’s head with the face of my sword.
Even without using the blade, my aura-enhanced sword was more than enough to be a lethal weapon.
With a human weapon named Cal wielded, you can imagine how much force struck the back of Duke Burrow’s head.
Even after hearing something not-so-good come from his head, the stumbling Duke staggered forward.
He finally crumpled to the ground, scraping along before coming to a complete stop.
‘…He’s not dead, is he?’
[Don’t worry. He’s just unconscious.]
I checked with Grandpa and cautiously approached Burrow’s body, placing his son’s keepsake firmly in his outstretched hand.
And with that, I silently offered my apologies.
I’m sorry.
I won’t ask you to understand.
Whatever happens later, I’ll accept it humbly.
And then.
“Young Lady!”
While I was spewing my apologies, I snapped my eyes open at Phoebe’s urgent voice.
What now?! What is it!
Another variable?!
“All preparations are complete! Please come this way!”
…
Hah.
Phoebe.
Well done.
You did great, but hey.
Couldn’t you have done it just a little faster?!
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