Chapter 44

What are demons?

Hundreds of years ago, when demons blackened half of this continent and reigned supreme, a certain mage who experienced that era described demons like this:

-What kind of beings are they? They’re the kind to be killed without question or hesitation. Ah, burning them to death is better. It’s cleaner that way.

To kill without question or hesitation.

Indeed, this statement is at the very top of the knight’s code, imperial law, and the doctrine of the Holy Church. And for good reason. Demons are humanity’s arch-enemy.

-But aren’t there good demons, too?

-If there were such things, would they be called evil and demon?

Merlin, who burned countless demons alongside Arthur, the hero who ushered in the era of humans after defeating numerous demons that blackened the continent, let out a hollow laugh.

-I’ve burned demons numbering in the five digits, and not one of them ever made sense. They’re just created that way from the beginning.

Merlin said.

-They are beings who respond to mercy with betrayal.

It was advice and a tale of experience.

Najin nodded. He had no intention of doubting that demons were malevolent beings. What mattered was how to deal with such demons.

The Demon Knight, Verheigen.

Before pursuing him, Najin planned to thoroughly prepare. Facing a stronger opponent required meticulous preparation.

‘According to the information from the books…’

From the books and Merlin’s stories,

Najin began to jot down on paper the necessary items. Holy water blessed by the Church, silver daggers, antidotes, and items that could increase resistance to demonic energy…

Alright, the list was complete.

Now, all that was left was to gather these items.

-Well, well.

Merlin’s voice echoed in Najin’s ears.

-Do you think you’ll find that stuff here? You’d have to go to the Church to get those. They aren’t easily available anywhere.

“Sigh, I figured as much.”

-Yeah. And you know…

Merlin spoke indifferently.

-You don’t really need those things, do you?

“…What do you mean by that?”

-What’s the most troublesome aspect of dealing with demons? It’s their demonic energy.

The evil aura emitted by demons or things related to them. It pollutes the air and mana around it, eventually blackening the environment. Demonic energy is like poison to ordinary living beings.

This applies to both criminals and warriors alike.

Even a high-ranking warrior might fully resist demonic energy, but that’s something only a Swordmaster level or higher could achieve. Demonic energy continuously accumulates in the body, corrupting both flesh and soul.

-At first, you won’t notice anything.

-But as it keeps accumulating and reaches a critical point, it’s too late to turn back. Unless you regularly receive baptism from the Church, there’s no way to resist demonic energy. Even that’s not perfect.

That was why humans and demons couldn’t coexist, and why the Empire abhors demons. However, as Najin listened to Merlin, he tilted his head in confusion.

“If that’s the case, don’t I need these items even more?”

-Oh, kid. Have you forgotten what you possess?

Merlin chuckled.

Najin already had something much more powerful than church blessings, holy water, or silver weapons.

-Excalibur bestows blessings of purification and healing upon its owner. It’s sensitive enough to react even to alcohol… wouldn’t it react to demonic energy?

“Then that means…”

Najin muttered doubtfully,

and Merlin nodded, affirming his guess.

-You’re completely immune to demonic energy.

-And as long as you possess Excalibur…

You’re a natural enemy to demons.

Merlin murmured. Najin didn’t immediately grasp the full meaning of her words. Certainly, King Arthur in the tales had slain many demons, but wasn’t that just because he was exceptionally great?

To Najin’s musings, Merlin could only respond with a bitter laugh.

It seemed the boy didn’t fully understand the essence of the artifact ‘Excalibur’.

The twilight just before dawn.

Najin began his pursuit.

Although the expected route of the Demon Knight was somewhat outlined in the quest, it was too vague to be of much help. It only gave a rough direction.

But for Najin, that was enough.

As he tracked the trail, Najin suddenly felt a churn in his stomach. His heart beat violently, and a sharp instinct moved his body autonomously, as if responding to the malevolent energy. Thus, he instinctively turned his head towards where his steps led him and found traces of the Demon Knight.

-Becoming the owner of Excalibur means…

While Najin was feeling uneasy about this fact, Merlin whispered in his ear.

-You become the she

ath of Excalibur.

Merging with Excalibur.

Sharing its nature.

Merlin said this and took a long breath.

-That includes sharply reacting to evil things. It might be weak now, but… pursuing someone who blatantly spreads such energy shouldn’t be hard, right?

Just trust your senses as always.

Merlin advised, and Najin slowly nodded. Taking a deep breath, Najin quickly moved towards the direction where the traces led.

He ran through the forest before dawn.

The blowing wind was chilly, and the air tickling his nose was mixed with the smell of blood. Najin frowned. It was a terrible stench, one he was all too familiar with.

Thud.

Najin’s pace slowed as he ran through the forest. Although it was still dark before sunrise, Najin’s eyes, accustomed to night vision, could clearly see the forest scene.

Uprooted trees.

Broken and snapped branches.

Bloodstains scattered all around.

Following these signs would inevitably lead to one thing: the result of a battle that had taken place here. Najin’s pace eventually came to a halt amid the vibrating stench of blood. He silently observed the surroundings.

A knight with a burst head.

A knight with arms and legs torn off.

A knight with a hole in his heart.

Knight, knight, and knight. The corpses of beings who would be called powerful littered the forest. Najin swung his sword to drive away the beasts feasting on the bodies.

“……”

He was walking silently among the corpses, broken swords and puddles of blood. Helmets and armor were crushed without their owners. As he walked past the corpses that met a pitiful death… breathing could be heard.

Rough, labored breathing.

Breaths that seemed about to cease at any moment.

Passing pine trees drenched in blood, Najin soon reached the source of the breathing. There, leaning against a tree and clutching his abdomen, was a knight.

“Huff, huff…”

At a glance, it was a fatal wound.

The knight’s breath was ragged, and around him pooled dark red blood, his complexion deathly pale. Najin stopped in front of him.

As his shadow fell over the knight, he slowly tried to lift his head. But it seemed too difficult, and he coughed up blood foam.

Najin silently bent down to meet the knight’s eye level so he didn’t need to lift his head. Thus, eye to eye, Najin spoke.

“Let me help you. I will take you to a nearby church.”

“Appreciate the offer, but…”

The knight smiled bitterly.

“I refuse. I know my body well. I’m not in a state to survive, even with treatment.”

He slightly lifted his hand, which was pressing on his abdomen, revealing a large hole and flesh rotten from demonic corruption. It was too late for any recovery.

“That damned Verheigen. An old comrade, but without any righteousness. He pierced a hole in my stomach, saying I should die in agony, and then left. How despicable.”

The knight chuckled weakly.

His light-hearted demeanor contrasted with his pale face and cold sweat, making it sound anything but a joke.

“Huff…”

The knight took a moment to catch his breath and glanced at Najin’s attire.

He didn’t look like a knight. More like a mercenary or adventurer, but his equipment seemed top-notch, probably a well-known adventurer in Cambria.

“Did you take on the quest?”

Najin nodded and pulled out the quest paper from the Knights of Atanga to show the knight.

“I see, you took Atanga’s quest. An honorable man. I admire your courage and spirit, but…”

Coughing up blood-tinged saliva, the knight continued.

“You’re not his match. Inform them his level has been misjudged. He’s surely contracted with at least a mid-tier demon… and is undergoing demonization.”

He warned about the incorrect information and advised.

“Keep your distance in pursuit and regularly send messages to the Knights of Atanga. That would be the best course of action.”

Not content with just that, he barely lifted his hand to point in the direction of the dawn. His fingertips trembled.

“He went that way.”

Take this.

Murmuring so, the knight handed something to Najin. Probably a means to communicate with Atanga. Silently, Najin accepted what the knight offered. Only then did the knight relax his shoulders and exhale.

As if he had done all he could.

As if he had laid down the burden he was carrying.

“Do you have any last words?”

Noticing the weakening breaths of the knight, Najin asked. The knight only managed a bitter smile at that question. A sharp kid, he murmured, then struggled to open his mouth.

“Knight of the Trebache family, Gilbert.”

He slowly removed his hand from his abdomen. Gilbert had been enduring the pain to pass on information to any pursuer like him who might come along.

…The pain of flesh rotting from demonic energy is unbearable for a mere mortal. Despite his mental discipline as a knight, there’s a limit.

Considering his slim chances of survival, it might have been better to slit his own throat with the dagger he carried. But Gilbert struggled until the end.

To pass on information for the sake of his fallen comrades.

“Though I regret not being able to deliver good news to my lord, I am only sorry for the dishonor of delivering bad news.”

Gilbert laughed.

“Please convey my regards to my lord. If possible, add that I remained a proud knight until the end. Maybe that will give some worth to my name.”

A frivolous joke.

Chuckling, Gilbert coughed up dark red blood. With a short convulsion, Gilbert’s body slumped, lifeless.

He might not have always lived as a proud knight.

But in the end, he chose to die as one. Najin silently reached out to close Gilbert’s staring eyes.

“……”

Najin stood up.

He looked in the direction Gilbert had pointed. Dawn was breaking, signaling the end of the twilight. Looking at the light spreading through the forest, Najin started walking.

A knight who faced death as a knight.

Many live as knights, but few choose to be knights until their last moment. It’s not easy to remain honorable when cornered. Especially in an era where the weight of the title ‘knight’ has lessened significantly.

Debauched knights.

Knights who betray their lords for money.

Knights who are mere swordsmen drunk on their power.

Knights without honor or pride.

It’s an era full of such knights. Most prioritize tangible goals like power and money over vague concepts like honor or pride.

-Because of such an era.

Najin thought, and Merlin spoke.

-Such knights shine.

Those who choose to be knights despite gaining nothing. Those who wish to be knights even in their last moments. Najin had seen such a person somewhere.

「Go, Najin.」

「Stand at the highest point and shout.」

「That the Knight of the Stars, Ivan, was at your starting point.」

In the image of the knight just passed,

Najin saw a glimpse of his benefactor. He still didn’t understand the concepts of honor and pride, but he knew they deserved respect.

Because he understood.

“Merlin.”

Najin spoke.

“My plan has changed.”

He firmly gripped the sword at his waist.

The original plan was to keep a distance and observe the Demon Knight, then hold him at bay when the Knights of Atanga arrived.

He was a formidable opponent beyond him.

He had no reason to risk his life.

He intended to use the battle as a learning experience. But his thoughts changed. He realized he shouldn’t approach this matter so lightly.

“I guess I have to catch him myself.”

Najin’s eyes were cold and resolute.

The declaration wasn’t born from the arrogance of a talented genius, but a resolve and a sense of determination.

“To grasp what honor and pride are.”

Honor and pride. Those cherished by a knight.

The boy admired knights. The first knight he saw had instilled that dream in him.

「I am Ivan.」

「The Knight of Atanga, Ivan.」

The boy does not forget the pride shown by the one-eyed knight. He does not forget the honor that Ivan longed for until the end.

That was the first star the boy ever saw.

The pride in Ivan’s eyes was the brightest star. Najin wanted to understand why Ivan risked his life for such superficial values.

“I don’t know why.”

Najin exhaled deeply.

His intuition was shouting.

“By confronting the Demon Knight with all my might, I think I’ll understand.”

What kind of knight I want to be.

What honor and pride mean.

Ironically, by confronting someone who has forsaken it all, he felt he could understand.

-You’re impulsive.

“That’s right.”

Are you going to stop me?

Najin asked. To that, Merlin burst into laughter.

-What nonsense are you talking?

Merlin exclaimed.

-What are you waiting for? Go now!

“I thought you’d say that.”

Najin began to move.

He started running, following the trail of the Demon Knight.

The Demon Knight, Verheigen.

He turned around at the sound of footsteps. There was someone walking straight towards him, not even bothering to hide his presence.

How foolish. Revealing himself instead of hiding and ambushing?

Another knight?

That’s what Verheigen thought as he turned his head. However, there was no knight. Instead, a young man dressed in what seemed to be stitched together from monster hide stood there.

‘A mercenary?’

It seemed a quest had been posted in the city as he passed near Cambria. It was a pointless endeavor. Verheigen sighed and began to speak.

“Hey, mercenary scum, mind your own bu…”

“Your name.”

The young man cut off Verheigen’s words. Clang, he drew his sword and pointed it at Verheigen. With the sword tip aimed, he asked.

His name.

As if asking for the name of his opponent before a duel, Verheigen let out a scoff.

“Verheigen.”

The Demon Knight revealed his name.

Then, the young man with the sword should also reveal his name. Soon, the young man’s lips parted.

“Najin.”

His real name, not a false identity, was pronounced.

“The Squire of Ivan, the Knight of Atanga.”

Sword aura blossomed from Najin’s sword.