A Stuffed Cheonma in my Head - Chapter 115



Only Noblemtl

Episode 115. The Young Hermann

* * *

After a hectic meal, on the way out of the restaurant.

I walked down the hallway to help with digestion.

Lord Walpole, who had a natural talent for guiding, walked beside him, while Linda and Shushuruta followed behind.

‘… … It’s dirty.’

I felt a little bloated, as if my digestion wasn’t going well.

It can’t be all Shushuruta and Linda’s fault, because this uncomfortable feeling has been going on for a long time.

‘The devil in the red eye. I’m looking forward to it. See you tomorrow.’

The expression, gestures, atmosphere, and voice of Ruthie, who was smiling and waving her hands.

“… … .”

It was creepy.

I can’t explain it clearly, though.

It kept bothering me.

I asked Walpole, rubbing my stomach in vain.

“Lord Walpole.”

“yes?”

“Will the royal knights come tomorrow?”

Walpole answered with a look of surprise on his face.

“Yes. The king himself will come to observe.”

“Oh, really?”

“Didn’t I explain it to you before? There is a ritual where the crown is handed over to the winner immediately after the final battle.”

That’s what it was.

Since the king came to see the sights, it seemed natural that royal knights would be dispatched to escort him.

As the thought crossed my mind, a man came to mind.

He was a bluish man with frost on his head.

‘Is the knight of the cold coming?’

After thinking about it for a moment.

I felt like it was natural for him to come.

Even though he was defeated by Cheonma, he is still the strongest knight in the kingdom.

The fearsome royal knights we encountered yesterday. The one who was far stronger than them was none other than Hakhan.

According to Ashley, it was a different level.

“… … .”

Gratitude towards Cheonma once again welled up in my heart.

I fought against such a person and survived.

The devil warned.

[I’ll say it again. There’s no second time.]

“Oh, I see.”

[Don’t expect luck.]

“Fortunately, I’m the one who hates that the most.”

“yes?”

“No, sir.”

“Oh, you’re talking to yourself again.”

I was reminded again of the fact that it was a miracle that I survived.

Once again, Ruthie’s words rang in my ears like a curse.

‘The devil in the red eye. I’m looking forward to it. See you tomorrow.’

I crossed my arms and licked my lips.

‘… … Are you expecting what? That I will destroy them? Or, on the contrary, that they will destroy you?’

I thought again carefully about the tone in which she spoke.

‘No, that wasn’t it.’

That was not the true meaning behind her words.

It was a far cry from the tone of someone who was just going to watch from behind.

Rather, it’s like… … .

“Ah, Lord Ashvan.”

As I was thinking deeply, savoring her tone, I ran into Count Starvanger, who was coming from the opposite direction.

The count approached me with a smile and asked.

“What are you thinking about?”

I shook my head.

“It’s nothing. When I think about it, it’s just a ridiculous delusion.”

“Delusion? What kind of delusion do you mean?”

The count asked with a puzzled look on his face, but I gave a vague answer and changed the subject.

“It’s really nothing. More importantly, you suddenly decided to go to war tomorrow. How do you feel?”

“Well… I’m determined to come down after defeating at least one of them. I can’t disappoint you, Your Majesty.”

“okay.”

“I’m not sure if I can even display half of my prime skills because my body is rusty. I’m glad I haven’t neglected my training. By the way, did you enjoy the festival?”

I nodded, remembering the sight of the fat lady being spit on with a skewer of chicken and the bloody flashes of light in the dark alley.

“It was fun.”

“So, how was it?”

“Huh? What is it?”

The count spoke in a hushed tone.

“You and Sir Ashley didn’t go for a walk. Just the two of you.”

“Yes, it was.”

“How was it?”

“… … So what is it?”

“You know what I mean. What was Sir Ashley like?”

“… … .”

My first impression was that he was a very kind and dignified head of the Count family.

Looking at it this way, it seemed like I was looking at an excited country bumpkin who was about to marry off his daughter.

The head of the Starvanger family asked for an answer again with an expectant look on his face.

“Didn’t you walk with Sir Ashley, eat street food, and watch the festival while chatting about this and that?”

“I did.”

“It looks like you’ve said something.”

“Yes, it was.”

“Our Lord Ashley. What do you think?”

Instead of answering, I sighed.

I think I have some idea why the Count is doing this.

Ashley Kyung Tan seems determined to focus on her sword and date a man stronger than her.

The count seemed worried that he might miss his chance for marriage.

I personally witnessed the golden flashes fighting.

She was strong and elegant.

Finding someone stronger than her is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

So the Count considered me his last chance.

It would be even better if a strong line were connected between me and Starbanger.

“… … Count. The decisive battle is tomorrow. Isn’t this not the time?”

The count answered with a calm face.

“What do you have to worry about? The ball is with you.”

Come to think of it, the Count said he personally witnessed Cheonma defeating the bitter cold with my body.

So, the reason he was so relaxed was because he had faith in me.

I held back a sigh that was about to come out.

“I was so worried about the final match tomorrow that I couldn’t even think about that.”

“Haha, just kidding.”

“I’m not joking.”

The count laughed heartily and ended the conversation by telling them to think about it carefully and talk to him after the battle was over.

Our majestic lord of Starvangers gave a brief greeting to Walpole, Shushruta, and Linda before passing on.

It looks like he’s going to ask Sir Ashley the same thing.

I muttered while looking at his back.

“No, the final battle is tomorrow. Is that okay?”

Walpole answered.

“Don’t worry. Our lord is also a former royal knight.”

I looked at Walpole with wide eyes.

“really?”

“yes.”

I asked Shushuruta for a second verification.

“Is it true?”

Shushuruta nodded.

“That’s right. Count Hermann Stavanger is a royal knight.”

“… … So that’s why the Black Prince asked for help.”

“I heard that you announced your retirement and returned to your family to lead the family.”

“I see.”

I thought he would be quite strong, but he used to be a royal knight.

It was a needless worry.

I suddenly became curious and asked.

“Then did our Count have some kind of modifier? Like Van Dyke in the iron cage.”

Shushuruta explained while looking at the back of the count as he walked away.

“He was usually gentle, but when he fought, he became a completely different person, as if possessed by a ghost… … so he was called the spooky Hermann.”

“How do you fight?”

Walpole answered.

“I’ve never seen it myself, but I’ve heard that its fighting style is like that of a ghost.”

“……okay?”

How can such a gentle man fight like a ghost?

It was hard to imagine.

Suddenly Linda became quiet and I looked over to see her nodding off, leaning her shoulder against the wall.

Come to think of it, the meal I just had was dinner.

Outside the window, darkness was already spreading dimly.

I asked Walpole to guide me to the room where Bok-sil was, and then we parted ways in front of him.

Because Walpole also has to prepare for tomorrow’s showdown.

I opened the door slightly and looked around the room.

Bok-sil was sitting cross-legged in a corner of the room, not moving at all from the position I had seen her in before.

Still eating breakfast frantically, holding Vlad in one hand.

It looked like he was having a serious conversation with the guy.

I didn’t want to bother anyone, so I quietly closed the door and went into the next room.

The Black Prince had rented the entire building for security purposes, so there were rooms left over.

I carried Linda by the back of her neck, threw her on the bed, and sat cross-legged on the floor.

Then he spoke to Shushuruta, who had naturally followed him.

“Shushuruta.”

“Something.”

“I’m thinking of having breakfast now. Go to sleep first.”

“i get it.”

Shushuruta rolled Linda, who was sprawled on the bed, to one side and lay down there.

I closed my eyes.

The thought came over me as if it had been waiting for me.

The assassins who attacked Ashley.

Royal knights appearing at delicate moments.

Those murderers who were caught and taken away without any problem.

The knights of the Black Prince suddenly disappeared.

I let my imagination run wild.

The knights were waiting here in top condition, preparing for the decisive battle, under the orders of the Black Prince.

One day, assassins raid them.

But since they are all strong knights, they are not easily defeated.

While fighting off the assassins who rushed at us like that, a royal knight suddenly appeared.

Three of them, too.

While the assassins were risking their lives to capture the knights, the royal knights arrived.

If they try to subdue the knight, the knight will not dare to fight back.

If three royal knights had barged in like that, subdued the knights, and dragged them off somewhere.

If the royal family, which must maintain absolute neutrality, had intervened in this matter.

‘The devil in the red eye. I’m looking forward to it. See you tomorrow.’

Once again, Ruthie’s words rang in my ears.

An innocent tone of voice that says that tomorrow is something to look forward to.

The deep fighting spirit hidden within it.

I didn’t mean to look.

Rather, it’s like… … .

Yeah, it sounded like you were expecting a fight with me.

‘But how?’

Do you really think the royal family will actively intervene?

Are you thinking of interfering in the showdown between the First Prince and the Black Prince?

Why? How come?

It was clearly stated that the royal family must maintain absolute neutrality.

You break that?

What happens if you break it?

Were those assassins actually the 1st prince’s limbs?

No. When I think about those guys being taken away without any problems, I can’t help but feel like they were on the same side from the beginning.

Then, maybe they were trying to capture Sir Ashley, but then they found me and just retreated.

By the way, didn’t the royal knights say that they only follow the king’s orders?

So there’s a king behind all this?

My thoughts swirled around like a whirlpool.

My breathing was ragged.

Cheonma barged in and repelled the whirlpool with a firm tone.

[Are you trying to get into a state of obsession? Calm down. Don’t think about anything and just focus on your breathing.]

I quickly caught my breath.

After concentrating for a while on my breathing going in through my nose and out through my mouth, I finally began to calm down a bit.

Did it calm down too quickly?

Suddenly, I felt sleepy and slapped myself on the cheek.

match!

[… … crazy guy.]

I quickly chased away sleep and then thought calmly.

Okay, let’s say the royal family intervened.

‘So what?’

What I have to do doesn’t change.

Whether the royal family intervenes or not. No matter what they do.

All I have to do is defeat all the opposing knights in the final battle tomorrow.

If someone were to barge into the palace, they would just be beaten to death.

‘Conspiracies are none of my business.’

As is the case with most things in life.

The conclusion was simple and clear.

‘Kill.’

Oh, this is not it.

‘Knock him down so hard that he doesn’t die.’

Okay, this is it.

But that’s never as easy as it sounds.

I finally got to this today.

It was only when I saw the golden flash and the royal knights that I realized that I had been letting my guard down.

I realized that I was arrogant.

Although my skills are far from being up to par, I seem to have unknowingly become imbued with the spirit of Cheonma.

What I have to deal with are the most elite knights in the entire kingdom.

Those fucking geniuses who keep saying they’re going strong. They’re the ones at the top.

The strong people who were in places so high above me that I couldn’t even dream of.

When did I start looking down on them? Arrogantly.

If I hadn’t gone for a walk today.

If I had gone into the final battle with the same mindset as before.

I would have definitely lost miserably.

In the worst case, it might have led to death.

If you go into a fight with this kind of loose mindset, you will lose whether you win or lose.

How proud are you of how strong you have become?

Have you forgotten that fighting is all about momentum?

You’ve defeated the strong a few times, so why are you acting so arrogant now?

Idiot. Idiot. A slump. You’re causing trouble.

‘Wake up.’

He slapped my cheek loudly.

My head suddenly turned.

[You crazy bastard. Do you think that will make you come to your senses? Hit me harder.]

I slapped him a couple more times and then stopped.

Because it hurt more than I thought.

Here was a ruthless man who wouldn’t even spare himself.

[Tsk tsk… …. What a pathetic guy.]

I sat lost in thought with my cheeks puffy.

I felt a little more alert after getting slapped in the face by that merciless man.

I escaped from my body and looked down at myself from a third party’s perspective.

When looking at it objectively.

I am lacking in the ability to guarantee victory.

Because even if you fight the Golden Flash right now, you can’t guarantee that you’ll win.

Moreover, if the royal knights really barge in, then there is nothing we can do.

Although a bloody full moon suddenly appeared during the battle against the bitter cold, it was not possible to expect good luck like that time.

‘I have to become stronger.’

My current level of Night Sky Star Moon Skill is the String Moon.

If the realm deepens to a half moon or full moon, wouldn’t there be a chance of success?

So, if you start your morning routine right now and focus fiercely until tomorrow morning… … .

‘no.’

I shook my head.

Enlightenment doesn’t come that way.

Martial arts don’t become deeper that way.

‘We need another way.’

I asked Cheonma for help.

“Master. Help me.”

If the Black Prince had a count.

I had a sturdy piece of Gastrodia elata, like a pouch of beef jerky.

Cheonma said in a tone that was surprising.

[Your understanding of martial arts has deepened considerably. It seems like only yesterday that you were amazed and said it was like magic.]

A full body figure.

[Anyway, good.]

Cheonma dropped a clue.

[There is something called season in martial arts.]