The Iron Lion, Rodon, did not once recall his defeat as he imagined the battle with the Death Knight.
The physique of the beastkin was a weapon in itself. Their sharp claws were great swords capable of tearing through iron, the fangs of Vajra could break through anything, and their enormous bodies were armored in impenetrable iron.
The swordsmanship of the Death Knight, which had retained the habits from his human days even after death, could be summed up in one word: inefficient, in Rodon’s view.
There was no need to grip, draw, or swing the sword like traditional swordsmanship. Rodon only needed to swing.
Before the sword was even drawn, the bones would turn to dust, and even if the Death Knight did draw his sword, he would not be able to pierce through Rodon’s sturdy hide. There was no doubt about it.
However, the opponent was a Swordmaster who had caused the fall of five kingdoms and established an empire with nothing but a sword.
The rustling sound.
Rodon did not see the sword that the Death Knight, Kan, swung. It was not simply because he was off guard.
Even his keen eyesight, and his even sharper sense of smell, failed to detect the blade.
It was as if the sword only left a lingering echo in the place it passed.
-!!!!
Rodon’s roar shook the space around him. The luminous stones inside flickered a few times. It was not a scream, but pure anger filled with murderous intent.
Kan absorbed all of Rodon’s frenzied attacks head-on. If one were to withstand, it was clear which side would break.
Clang! KANG-!
Every time their claws and sword clashed, it felt as though Kan’s bones would shatter, but in the end, it was just a lightning strike that fell from above.
With one of his front paws missing, Rodon’s attacks became monotonous. There was only one pattern to them.
Rodon acknowledged his mistake only after his thighs and collarbone were slashed twice more, and clenched his fist.
His sharp claws had turned into a blunt instrument. Twisting his shoulder, Rodon unleashed a devastating punch, intending to crush both weapon and foe simultaneously, like artillery.
This time, Kan did not dodge. He aligned the tip of his sword horizontally with the point where Rodon’s fist would land.
Thwok.
“Kh—!!”
Once again, Rodon was wrong. The blade did not bend but pierced straight through his front paw.
Who could have crafted such an impossible weapon?
Swallowing a scream, he could no longer risk any further attempts and quickly withdrew his paw. Blood splattered from the gaping wound in his fist.
“Stop being stubborn and bow,” Kan said.
Kan was already preparing his next move.
The black, hollow eye sockets of his gaze were directed at Rodon’s neck.
It was a warning: if Rodon didn’t lower his head willingly, Kan would sever it and cast it aside.
Rodon finally realized—and acknowledged—the truth.
Since the moment his front paw had been torn away, the battle had already been lost. How foolish it had been to face him with just one arm.
The magic within the blade flickered in Kan’s eyes, and as Rodon was about to lay down his pride, the moment came.
“Ah, no! Don’t do it!”
Bweaak!
With a sharp, childlike cry, Kan’s sword froze mid-air, suspended in the air.
Kan and Rodon, as if snapping back to reality, finally noticed the Dullahan guards surrounding them.
Not only Dullahans, but countless other monsters were watching the fight unfold.
The Monster Trading Post was not a colosseum.
“Ah.”
Kan, with his sword still halted, looked down at his leg, where his lord was clinging tightly.
Rupia, trembling uncontrollably, had her eyes squeezed shut.
According to the laws of the Underis Central Administration, a Demon King could not be detained, but she was no monster.
A cramped space surrounded by damp stone walls and iron bars. The faint sunlight that filtered through a small window barely touched the floor.
On the floor, only a few strands of rotten straw scattered, and the cold darkness still reigned as the true master of the place.
I hung from the bars, gazing at Rupia.
“…Huh-uh.”
Rupia was swallowing her sobs.
A moment later, the sound of keys jingled as an orc approached and unlocked the iron door of my cell.
Chirrik, “Remember this. Next time, no amount of bail will save you.”
The gold cloth that had been in Rupia’s hands earlier was nowhere to be found, and only the empty sack hung limply by her side.
With tearful eyes, she looked up at me.
Even with twenty mouths, I had no words to say, but I still had to speak.
“…I’m sorry.”
I shouldn’t have held back, or at least I should have gone out and fought. But I didn’t say any of that.
Rupia threw the empty sack aside, then silently pulled my bones into her embrace.
Her sobs resonated clearly through every joint in my body. Her small back trembled over and over.
“This… this is my first time. I… I didn’t know what to do… Khh… I thought I’d never come back… Thank goodness, General…”
I vividly remembered her frantic attempts to offer the thousand gold to free me, her desperate gestures and trembling voice. Her earnestness pierced my heart, leaving a cold sting.
…I’ll need to rein in my temper.
It seemed that Demon and the lion beastkin had been released without even undergoing a proper investigation. As Rupia spoke of this, she cried even harder than before.
“I… Hhkk… I’m the Demon King, but… I’m so weak… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, General… Khh…!”
“It’s my fault. Please, don’t say such things.”
I supported Rupia, gently pulling her into an embrace as we made our way out of the facility. The sun had already set, and a red sunset spread across the sky.
I had thought of buying her some snacks to comfort her, but I had no money.
After losing all the thousand gold, not only had I failed at my original mission of recruiting monsters, but now I couldn’t even afford a meal.
To make matters worse, I had gotten another Demon King involved, so this was truly the worst day.
‘As for me, I can deal with it, but my lord must be starving.’
With her swollen face, Rupia walked beside me, clearly lacking energy.
‘…First, we need to head back to the dungeon.’
Having lost my original purpose, there was no longer any reason to stay in Underis.
‘Once we return, I should gather the goblins and golems and have a lively feast to lift Rupia’s spirits.’
That was the plan, at least.
As I walked toward the platform with the magic circle, a familiar figure brushed past me with a soft thud. I thought for a moment it was a drunk stumbling along.
“Mm?”
“…Kerung?”
The wolfkin’s pupils widened, and her face shifted into an expression as if she had seen a ghost.
It was the same wolfkin I had met earlier that day in the market, the one who had stepped on Rupia’s cloak.
The one with the S-rank trait, Loyalist.
“Hh, hhiiiick…?!“
The envelope she had been holding fell, and its contents scattered across the floor. It was a cream-filled bun.
“Sorry, sorry! Please, spare me! I wasn’t looking ahead because I was thinking about other things! I’m really sorry…!”
I wasn’t interested in her apology. I picked up one of the fallen cream buns and asked her.
“…Are you truly sorry?”
“Y-Yes! Really! I swear on the Wolf God, I’m deeply sorry and will dedicate my life to making up for it… I was wrong—”
“Then let’s share this.”
“…Ke, ke-kerung…?”
The wolfkin, who had been crouched in preparation to take a beating, let out a sound as if the air had escaped her.
I brushed off the dust from the cream bun and handed it to Rupia.
“It looks quite delicious, doesn’t it? Please try it, my lord.”
“Hhkk… Hm?”
In that moment, Rupia’s eyes widened in surprise, and it seemed like they might grow to the size of the cream bun itself.
“Ho, hoooek! Th-this is… the Bloodrich cream bun that’s so hard to get, even with standing in line from dawn?!”
“Oh, it seems to be quite a famous pastry.”
“It’s not just famous! It has the perfect balance of strawberry jam and cream, made by a craftsman who carefully prepares the flour from the demon realm and fresh Bloodberries, pouring his soul into each batch…!”
I hadn’t expected her to be so thrilled about it.
After finishing her praise of the cream bun, Rupia quickly devoured the pastry, which was nearly half the size of her face. I suspected even a raccoon washing a cotton candy wouldn’t finish it faster.
I silently thanked the wolfkin, who had collapsed in exhaustion.
“My lord seems to really enjoy it. Thank you.”
“…Huh? Ah, ah… Yes… yes…”
Rupia, with cream still smeared around her mouth, was already eyeing her next target.
Ahem, I cleared my throat and asked.
“Excuse me, but… could I have one more?”
The wolfkin stared blankly at the cream bun that had fallen to the floor, then cautiously nodded.
“Y-You can eat all of it… though it’s a bit dirty from rolling on the floor…”
As soon as Rupia received permission, she didn’t hesitate for another second, scooping up every last bit and shoving it into her mouth.
Her cheeks puffed up again, looking like a little hamster.
“Uhhkh, it’s so delicious… so delicious…!“
…She cries when she’s sad and cries when she’s happy too.
I gave the wolfkin a slightly embarrassed look and said, “I’m sorry for eating your portion too.”
“No… It’s fine… I didn’t buy it for myself… It’s okay, since my master is gone…”
The wolfkin lowered her head deeply, muttering weakly.
Rupia, still savoring the taste of the cream bun, seemed to be in a better mood. She lowered herself slightly, showing respect to the wolfkin.
“Thank you, wolf. That was a very delicious bun. The something that crunched like sand blended well with the cream.”
The wolfkin’s mouth slightly opened in surprise.
After all, how many Demon Kings would bow to a monster just for offering a cream bun?
“Well then…”
I turned my back, heading off with Rupia.
Seeing her in a better mood lightened my own heart as well.
Just then, the wolfkin called out from behind us.
“Excuse me…!”
The wolfkin’s voice trembled, as if she had summoned every ounce of courage just to speak. Even after calling out, she was still shaking, as if chilled by a cold wind.
Her gaze was fixed on me.
“I… I heard that you fought the Iron Lion, General Rodon, this morning…!”
I almost wanted to smack my forehead.
No matter how many eyes were on us, how did that rumor spread so quickly?
I was certain that the news of me severing his front paw had spread along with it. No wonder the monsters had been avoiding me ever since.
“So?”
“Well… the thing is… I…!”
The wolfkin scrunched up her face, hesitated, and then, as if spitting out the words, finally managed to ask.
“Could I become as strong as you…?”
Her final words were almost whispered, barely audible.
There was no confidence, no certainty in her question.
The wolfkin’s ears and tail drooped, like blades of grass bent by the wind. Her eyes seemed to have already lost their light.
…I’m not sure what’s going on with her, but I suppose I should at least pay back for the bread.
I simply spoke the truth, repeating what I had seen from her status window.
“You possess a power that even I don’t have. If we were to rank it, it would be at the highest level.”
By now, the sun had completely set, and under the moonlight, her gaze was slowly drawn toward it.
“Keep improving. Your nature doesn’t seem the type to betray anyone, and with effort, it will not betray you either.”
With those final words, I turned and walked away.
When I last looked back, I saw her empty eyes, but this time, they reflected the moonlight.
She stared after my retreating figure, and I could almost feel her lingering gaze, as if watching a distant memory.