(EP-272.1) #4

272 – Reconciliation #4

I knew nothing about swords or martial arts.

However, through many near-death experiences, I could tell that Reinhardt’s swordsmanship was extremely cold and ruthless.

There was no emotion in his continuous swings. It was as if he were butchering an animal, his movements remained clean and efficient, with no unnecessary actions— showing pure professionalism.

Reinhardt’s power, and perhaps the source of it, came from this coldness. So, to create even the smallest opening in his movements, I decided to shake him up.

Trash-talking was something I could be confident in.

“It’s not a lie. Lady Elga is not alone right now.”

Crack.

I could almost hear the sound of a large vein popping on Reinhardt’s forehead in response to my declaration. It seemed he hadn’t heard about Elga’s pregnancy from her.

He asked.

“… Who is the child’s father?”

“You’re trying to kill him right now! If you kill me here, the child will grow up without a father. Or—”

“……”

“Or will you kill the child too for carrying the Demon King’s blood? Or perhaps you’ll exile them to some remote countryside?”

The Lioness family was bound by stronger familial love than any other family. From the start, it was common to have many wives and a large number of half-siblings.

Family bonds and brotherhood were emphasized as the fundamental elements that kept their household intact. I decided to sow the seeds of ‘choice’ in Reinhardt’s mind.

Elga’s child.

What would happen when the child got born?

My plan seemed to work quite effectively, as Reinhardt, who had been relentlessly attacking, stopped moving and fell silent.

“…….”

That was it!

I took advantage of that brief pause and began preparing a powerful spell.

“Come forth—!”

I reached high into the sky, and birds from all around flew in to grasp my shoulders. As my body rose into the air, I started casting the spell.

—End of Hope, False Hell!

Crackle—!

A black lightning bolt erupted from the sharp tip of the imp tail wand, flying straight towards Reinhardt.

However, Reinhardt just leisurely responded, “Were you trying to make me lower my guard?” He casually swung his sword, deflecting the spell. With that, my Rank 6 magic, False Hell, fell helplessly to the ground.

Reinhardt’s lips twisted as he watched.

“It’s not very powerful. For a spell you prepared by luring me into a false sense of security with your sly words, it’s rather underwhelming. Did you make a mistake?”

“You deflected it, as expected. That must mean you’re confident in both your sword and your skills. But thanks to that, I survived.”

“What…?”

Reinhardt looked down at his feet in confusion. He seemed to realize what effect my spell had, but it was already too late.

The sand beneath his feet began to crumble, and his body began to tilt and be sucked into an endless pit.

“I lured you to the training ground because there’s plenty of sand here!”

Ssssss—

It was like an antlion’s hole swallowing an ant.

“This pit…!”

Reinhardt struggled to free himself from the sand’s grasp, but the more he thrashed, the deeper his limbs sank into the pit.

In just a little while, he would be trapped deep within the sand, completely sealed, unable to move a single finger.

“Had I used magic on the ground from the start, you would have surely noticed and found a way to counter it.”

“… So, you used me?”

Ssshhh, ssshhh.

As Reinhardt struggled in the sandy abyss, I calmly aimed my wand at his head.

It was my victory.

* * *

In the end, Reinhardt was left buried in the ground with only his head sticking out. Looking at him, it was almost as if a human face had sprouted from the sand.

“An absurd magic, indeed. To pull off such a grand spell without any elaborate incantation… Frankly, I admit it. You are the second strongest mage I’ve ever seen.”

“Was the first Isaiah?”

“No, he was more of a swordsman than a mage. He was a balanced man who could skillfully wield both.”

‘I see.’

Well, he wasn’t a half-fairy, so he probably had the physique for it. So, the strongest mage Reinhardt has ever seen must be Queen Aira.

As I was thinking this, Reinhardt asked calmly.

“Why didn’t you kill me?”

“… Well, you need to have a conversation to persuade someone, don’t you? Besides, there are many other reasons. Killing you would lead to all kinds of uncontrollable consequences….”

“…….”

“And I never had a grandfather. I was always envious of friends who were doted on by their grandparents. I never had that.”

“Are you blaming our ancestors for killing Solomon?”

“No, Solomon’s revenge doesn’t resonate with me. It’s just, that, I just want my children to one day have a grandfather.”

The man laughed heartily at my words.

“What a foolish avenger you are. But that softness and frailty will one day choke you, brat.”

Pasusuk-.

Reinhardt’s hand, which should have been trapped beneath solid ground, emerged from the earth.

For a moment, I was taken aback by the sheer absurdity of it all. He then dusted off the dirt on his body….

“If you want to subdue your opponent, be sure to decapitate them. Until then, don’t go around claiming victory. That’s a basic rule.”

“… I’ll keep that in mind next time.”

“So, what’s the name?”

“Name?”

“As a father, you must have thought of one already.”

I could understand what he was getting at.

Since “Kkungkkungi” sounded strange, I decided to mention the name Elga had in mind.

“Leonor.”

“A daughter’s name, huh. It must have been the name Elganes had in mind. But if you consider that she carries nymph blood, wouldn’t Leonoi be more fitting?”

“… Maybe.” Though I didn’t really want to name her that.

Nymphs often had names that ended in ~noi. However, that wasn’t the important point here.

“So, did my persuasion work?”

“Not at all. No matter how I think about it, it’s a foolish and absurd plan. But my friend, Isaiah, would have probably laughed, thinking it was amusing.”

“……”

“You remind me of that man. Your face and height are completely different, but the way you speak, the way you think… Stubborn, with an unnecessary sense of compassion.”

“I see.”

“In the end, he vanished. He was filled with a sense of duty to accomplish something that he ignored those around him and acted on his own. He’s probably dead.”

“… Do you happen to know why he went North? Or why he crossed the barrier?”

“He always heard voices. He saw visions. That’s about all I remember. He never told us what he saw or heard.”

“Voices and visions?”

“Yes. After the Demon King’s defeat, the people of the Angmar family, without exception, suffered from extreme hallucinations and heard voices. They all went mad. That’s why they had to be purged.”

Hallucinations and voices…..

Edited by: faker