Imperial Guard - Chapter 42



Only Noblemtl

Episode 42

Warlock

Jerk- Jerk-

‘As expected, it’s not easy to meet the Ghost King three days in a row.’

After finishing the task of monitoring the ghost.

Ghent walked out of the dungeon with a headache.

Even for Gentra, who was a long-lived person, it was mentally burdensome to watch over the Demon King along with Yuri and Reina.

“After feeding Reina and watering the garden, I’m going to prune it.”

Gent quickly walked to the special guard building despite his difficulties.

It was to prepare some pre-cooked porridge for Reina, since she probably hadn’t eaten during the eight-hour surveillance mission.

Next, he had to cultivate the nature he loved.

“···.”

When Gent returned to the special guard building, he saw Lael touching the chest of the sleeping Reina.

As soon as he saw him, his eyes opened wide, and Gent immediately lifted the huge trowel that was stuck in the garden.

It was a cool and quick decision worthy of a giant.

“Rael. I never thought you’d be that kind of guy···.”

“··· Ghent. Just listen to me for now.”

Rael shrugged his shoulders as he looked at the trowel that was as big as his body.

If he didn’t make an excuse right away, his head could have been smashed, so Rael continued speaking right away.

“I understand you doubt me, but I really didn’t do anything. Reina just held my hand and fell asleep.”

Rael appealed with sincerity, his eyes looking wronged.

If he had bad intentions, he could have done anything to the sleeping Reina.

But Rael did nothing.

He was innocent.

“You buried your hand in Reina’s chest while she was sleeping and didn’t do anything?”

Gent lifted the shovel as if he had made up his mind.

I was planning to hit him first and listen to his statement later.

“No, this crazy elf took my hand!”

Rael had no choice but to raise his arms.

As he raised his arm, Reina’s sleeping hand came running towards him.

“··· hmm?”

Gent looked at Reina’s hand.

Even while she was sleeping, she was pulling Rael’s hand into her arms.

“It’s really unfair, Gent. I’ve lived a good life.”

Rael was right.

It wasn’t him touching Reina’s chest, it was Reina pulling Rael’s hand.

Gent put the trowel he was holding back into the garden and bowed his head.

“It really was. I’m sorry. Rael.”

“··· Okay. From now on, don’t pick up the shovel first.”

Having a giant bashful of a head-banging machine with a giant trowel wasn’t a very pleasant experience.

“Ugh. Ugh···.”

In the meantime, Reina pulled Rael’s hand, and Rael eventually placed his hand in Reina’s arms.

I felt a bit embarrassed doing this in front of Ghent.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen Reina act like that. Did she eat some thousand-year-old ginseng, which is full of the fragrance of nature?”

“··· I’ve never heard of something like that before. Anyway, Gent, can you help me with this? I have something to do, but I can’t go.”

Rael was held captive by Reina for over an hour.

My arms were starting to feel numb, and I actually had work to do in the afternoon.

“It’s a child’s characteristic to fall asleep while holding another person’s hand… I don’t understand why Reina does this. As a temporary measure, let’s try putting my hand in instead of yours.”

“···?”

Rael frowned at Ghent.

Are you suggesting something like that as an alternative?

“Ghent. This piece of garbage, you giant. You’re finally showing your true colors.”

Lael covered Reina’s face with his remaining hand.

As we saw at the festival, the giants are a race that is true to their instincts.

I thought Gent was a little different from the others, but it seems he ended up falling for his instincts.

“··· Rael. Stop the strange misunderstanding. Unlike humans, giants don’t get excited when they see elves. It’s similar to how you see Vermeil III.”

To Ghent, elves were no different from beasts.

In fact, the giants, except for Ghent, tended to ignore all other races.

“There are quite a few people in the world who get excited by the sight of animals. There’s a chance that you’re one of those people, too.”

“Are there such people among humans···.”

Gent’s eyes fluttered at Rael’s words.

I found out one of the human flaws that I didn’t want to know.

His love for the human world has diminished a little.

“Tch. It was just a joke, don’t be sad. Okay, then you hold it for me. My arm is really starting to hurt.”

“Hmm. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything weird.”

Ghent reached out instead of Rael.

He was looking at Reina like an animal, so he had no emotion in reaching out.

slap-

But the moment Lael let go of his hand and Gent’s hand touched Reina’s.

Reina’s hand hit the back of Ghent’s hand, then moved like a snake and grabbed Rael’s hand again.

“···.”

Gent, stroking the back of her hand, stared at Reina.

It may have been just a simple lie, but for some reason I felt uneasy.

“Gent. Don’t be too upset. Animals instinctively choose people.”

Rael smiled with a sense of unnecessary superiority.

On the street, every little thing like this was a battle of pride.

“I’m not at all upset. I’m just curious as to why Reina is acting like this.”

Gent began to observe Reina, who was sleeping, while holding Rael’s hand.

Haaaak- haaak-

At that moment, Vermeil III approached, wagging his tail.

Vermeil III, the spirit being, stretched out his body with satisfaction as he licked the sleeping Reina’s cheek.

“Don’t you think Reina’s face has become more relaxed since Vermeil III came?”

Rael narrowed his brows as he looked at Reina’s face.

As Vermeil III licked her face, Reina’s face seemed to relax a little.

“Vermeil III is a spirit that grows by feeding on magic and ghosts. Is Reina’s condition related to magic?”

“Magic?”

Rael tilted his head, sharpening his senses.

If it was the demon’s magic, there was no way he would miss it.

‘··· What is this?’

Rael, who had his senses sharpened, felt a strange magic inside Reina’s chest.

It was a magical power that was similar to magic, yet different… It was a magical power that made me feel uncomfortable just by touching it.

Why didn’t I know this?

‘You were imbued with Reina’s magic.’

The unidentified magical power was integrated with Reina’s body.

That’s probably why I didn’t feel it right away.

“Ghent. I feel a strange energy similar to magic from Reina. Do you know what it is?”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t really sense magic on the special guard premises.”

“You are incompetent.”

“··· Rael. You are the one who is strange.”

Rael has been like that from the beginning.

He quickly adapted to the special guard and his senses were sharp.

Ghent envied his sense.

“So I have to stay like this until Reina wakes up?”

“If the cause is magic as you say… the solution is surprisingly simple.”

Ghent turned his head and looked at Vermeil III.

Haaaak- haaak-

Vermeil III just gritted his teeth, unaware of what was about to happen to him.

*

“I almost dislocated my shoulder because of that crazy elf.”

Rael walked out of the special guard, shrugging his shoulders.

The Hand of Ghent failed, but Vermeil III was quite effective.

Rael made Reyna hug Vermeil III and escaped the guards.

‘That unpleasant magic… I’ll have to ask Tia later.’

Rael unintentionally got closer to Reina’s secret.

Since I wouldn’t get a good answer if I asked Reina, I planned to ask Tia secretly.

Jerk- Jerk-

Rael walked along the iron fence.

This is one of the less visited places in District 4.

In fact, it had been quite a while since I visited Rael, so I was looking for the main gate.

“Is that it?”

Lael discovered the main gate made of iron bars and walked towards it, looking around.

Every time I came to this area, I felt a gloomy atmosphere.

‘I have a feeling there might be ghosts in this world.’

Rael walked to the main gate of the Third Cemetery in District 4.

And then he approached the man guarding the main gate and waved.

“Hey. Hammel. Is everything okay?”

“Rael?! What’s going on?!”

Hammel is the gravedigger of the Third Cemetery.

Of course, he’s just a janitor in name only, and he’s not really that great.

Because you can’t manage hundreds or thousands of cemeteries by yourself.

What he does is stand in front of the cemetery and check on visitors.

“How’s work going these days?”

“Yeah. I should be thankful that I can do something like this.”

Rael smiled at Hammel’s brave face.

Hammel is one of the people that Rael directly inserted with his power as the captain of the guard.

Cemeteries, sewers, sewage treatment plants, etc.

Most of the jobs that ordinary people are reluctant to take are done by people who came from orphanages.

It would be better to do something like that than to become a beggar.

“I’m glad you’re doing well.”

“Rael. You became famous for catching demons. Is that true?”

“Don’t believe it, it’s just a rumor.”

Whenever Rael was asked about the Demons, he consistently feigned ignorance.

Rumors are supposed to disappear like this.

“Well… I thought it was nonsense. What happened today?”

“I came to see someone I know. I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Yeah. Have a good time!”

Rael greeted Hammel and entered the cemetery.

Actually, I didn’t know anyone buried here, and I had something else to check on.

‘hmm···.’

Rael walked slowly, looking around.

A flower bed and fresh flowers beautifully decorated in front of the tombstone.

A few mourners and a statue of Gaia.

Toys and clothes in front of a child’s grave.

The smell of rattling rusty iron fences.

The cemetery still had a gloomy atmosphere today.

In the meantime, Rael smelled a strong earthy scent.

‘It’s already been taken care of.’

A corpse to be used in the warlocks’ rebellion tomorrow.

They steal most of the bodies from the cemetery, and it looks like they’ve already taken them all.

‘It was covered up well, but… Hammel may not know, but it doesn’t work on me.’

A faint lingering scent of magic and a strong earthy smell different from the surroundings.

It’s the smell of the soil deep in the ground.

‘100 balls… No, it could be more than 1,000 balls.’

There are several cemeteries for commoners.

If we just take the recently buried corpses, there will be about 1,000 of them.

‘I’ve prepared myself… Will it be okay?’

The warlocks’ rebellion ultimately failed, but there were certainly casualties in the meantime.

Even though we placed a blue tower in the south, it was not clear how much the damage would be reduced.

‘··· I think it would be good if I could just get a little stronger.’

Rael looked regretful and grabbed the scabbard hanging on his waist.

Rael has already entered the world’s flow.

Now that it has come to that, I know I need to become stronger.

‘I can’t even see where that old man, the Thousand-Year Sword Master, went.’

But even when I tried to learn swordsmanship, I couldn’t find the old man.

He was like Carlson, appearing when he wasn’t needed and disappearing when he was needed.

‘··· Now that I think about it, there was a rain manager at the daycare center too?’

Suddenly, I remembered Director Rain of the daycare center.

It’s because he has a cult image, but in fact, Rain was also a very strong person.

Moreover, he is from a fallen noble family and has received proper swordsmanship training.

I thought it might be a good idea to ask for some teachings once in a while.

*

Rain, who was at the orphanage, was faithfully carrying out his duties as the Grand Duke.

He patrolled around the orphanage, checking on the physical condition of the children without leaving a trace.

‘Everyone is ordinary···?’

It’s not that there weren’t any good kids, but there wasn’t a single one with as much talent as Rael and Carlson.

It’s really amazing where those monsters came from.

“Please give me a penny…”

Daughter-

Rain threw a fairy tale to a beggar around the orphanage.

Maybe it was my imagination, but strangely enough, there seemed to be a lot of beggars around the daycare center.

“Chief Rain, you shouldn’t give too much money to beggars. They keep coming to the orphanage.”

“··· Is that so? I see.”

Lane looked down at Sarah standing in front of him.

She was carrying laundry in both hands, and it was a strange experience for Lane to be the first to be spoken to by a common woman doing laundry.

‘It definitely wasn’t like this on the first day···.’

As Rael became friendly with himself, a woman named Sarah also began to become friendly with him.

She seemed like a woman with her own standards, despite her appearance.

Jerk- Jerk-

“Oh my! Rael!”

They say even the devil will appear if you speak to him, and here he is, Rael.

“Hello, Ms. Sarah. Captain Lane.”

“··· Um, okay.”

Although it was a little uncomfortable that a commoner’s name came before his own, Rain nodded.

If I could become friends with someone as talented as Rael, such rudeness wouldn’t be a big deal.

‘Am I fixated on trivial things···.’

Since this was my first time experiencing something like this, I even wondered if there was something strange about me.

Rael’s orphanage was such a magical place.

“Sir, I have a favor to ask.”

“What’s going on?”

“Please tell me about that sword.”

“huh?”

Rain blinked at the unexpected words.

He looked at Rael and asked back.

“You want me to tell you about the sword?”

“Yes, please.”

Rael nodded his head.

To modern-day Rael, this may not seem like much, but bowing your head was a very effective way to ask for a favor in medieval fantasy.

“Hmm… There’s no need to go that far.”

“I know that the Sword Master’s teachings are heavy. How can it not be?”

“No, no, Rael. I’m not that great. I haven’t even properly implemented the realm yet. I just wonder if you have anything to learn from me.”

Swordmaster’s teachings?

That doesn’t matter.

As a knight, it is not difficult to teach the sword to a man the Grand Duke likes.

‘But it’s difficult to teach a genius like Rael.’

What Rain was worried about was Rael’s genius.

Teaching a genius who has already begun to blossom can actually be a hindrance.

“it’s okay.”

Rael shook his head.

He knew that his fundamentals were lacking.

Learning from a sword master will definitely help.

“Okay. Then, follow me to the backyard. There’s a pretty big space behind the daycare.”

“All right.”

Lael and Rain headed to the backyard of the orphanage.

And 30 minutes later.

Rain faced Rael with an embarrassed face.

“Rael.”

“Yes, sir.”

“··· I don’t know what to teach you.”

“Is that so?”

Rain’s eyebrows trembled.

As a knight, he could not remain silent when he saw Rael’s sword.

“Where on earth did you learn such a baseless swordsmanship?! It’s a problem from start to finish, so I don’t know what to teach you!”

Bang-!

Rain’s sword struck the orphanage floor in anger.

“There is no waste of talent like this! I will kill the author who taught you swordsmanship! Bring him to me immediately!”

‘··· I studied on my own.’

Rael swallowed his next words quietly.