Chapter 15: Chapter 15

Chapter 15: The Appearance of the Knight

Kellyburn had first sent the mercenaries and Ryan back to the ducal estate.

The place they were heading to now contained a treasure so precious that even Marquis Wilhelm had coveted it.

It was not a place where the ducal soldiers or mere mercenaries could be allowed to follow.

After walking for about ten minutes, Kellyburn came to a halt and spoke.

Leon asked back in a perplexed tone. Where they stood was nothing more than an empty plain.

‘Wilhelm definitely said there was something he was after here.’

Could he have been lying? Leon looked at Kellyburn suspiciously, but the duke continued speaking, unfazed.

“On the surface, it looks like a worthless land.”

Kellyburn frowned at Leon’s blunt reply. He cleared his throat before speaking again.

“Anyway, the true value of this land lies over there.”

Kellyburn pointed to a spot in the distance. Leon’s eyes caught sight of something peculiar.

Leon stared at something gleaming faintly.

‘Two long, glimmering strands of grass… I’ve heard of something like that before—’

At that moment, a conversation between Zeke and Reinhardt flashed through Leon’s mind.

“So you know of it to some extent.”

It was indeed rare. Mana Grass was an herb comparable to the Millennium Snow Ginseng or the Thousand-Year Cold Tree in the Martial Realm.

An herb that most people could never even hope to lay eyes on in their entire lifetime.

And now, it stood right before Leon’s eyes.

There wasn’t just one or two. At least dozens were rooted in the ground—the soil here must have had a special property that allowed Mana Grass to grow naturally.

‘No wonder Marquis Wilhelm was drooling over this place.’

To a magician, Mana Grass was an elixir that enhanced the purity and capacity of their mana circle.

Even a single stalk was valuable enough to ruin an ordinary noble’s fortune. And yet, here were dozens growing on this unremarkable plot of land.

It was only natural that greed would fester.

However, Leon was puzzled.

“Your Grace, as far as I know, Mana Grass only benefits magicians and knights. Is that correct?”

“Then it has nothing to do with me, does it?”

Leon was a warrior. He didn’t possess a mana circle like magicians, nor did he have a mana heart like knights.

Even though Leon had grown stronger through a knight’s method, Kellyburn wouldn’t have known that.

Then what was his true intention in offering the Mana Grass?

When Leon looked at him with questioning eyes, Kellyburn replied,

“My apologies. There are many who would covet such things even if they were of no benefit to them.”

“You were testing me?”

“Forgive my discourtesy.”

Duke Kellyburn’s tone was far smoother than when they had first met—truly the manner of an Imperial Duke.

Though he had tested Leon, strangely, it didn’t feel unpleasant.

‘Still, it’s annoying. Are all nobles this bothersome?’

Leon sighed to himself.

Nonetheless, Mana Grass was a precious treasure to him. Though he hadn’t learned mana cultivation, his strength had indeed taken on the characteristics of a knight’s path.

There was no reason the Mana Grass’s effects wouldn’t work on him.

Leon was just about to boldly ask for it when—

“So this is Mana Grass? Humans really strengthen themselves with such curious things?”

A neutral, androgynous voice came from the opposite side.

Leon’s expression slowly hardened. Until now, he had sensed only two presences—Kellyburn and his escort, Mikelan.

There was no one else nearby.

And yet, that voice had clearly come from ahead.

Neither Kellyburn’s nor Mikelan’s voices were that soft and delicate.

‘And this ominous, unsettling aura…’

It wasn’t unfamiliar. He had felt this energy once before—very recently.

His breathing grew strained. That was how foul and oppressive the aura was.

Leon forced himself to look up.

Mikelan, reacting a split second faster, charged at the source.

A terrifying blast of aura erupted right in front of them. At the same time, Leon stepped swiftly in front of Kellyburn.

There was no way Kellyburn, who hadn’t trained in martial arts, could withstand that aura head-on. Even if Leon were to be injured, he had to shield him.

As expected, the blast was intense—stronger even than what he had felt in his previous duel.

A short groan escaped Leon’s lips as his body was flung backward. He hadn’t been able to withstand the full force of the shockwave.

Even as he was hurled back, however, Leon didn’t take his eyes off Mikelan.

If the opponent Mikelan was facing was who Leon thought it was—he had to escape, and fast.

And, as always, his worst fears came true.

“Take His Grace and run!!”

Leon’s roar resembled a lion’s. Within that shout burned a surge of emotions that words could not capture. Grabbing Kellyburn, he bolted without hesitation.

Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom—!!

Explosions erupted behind them in succession, but Leon didn’t stop. The louder the sounds grew, the harder he pushed his legs against the ground.

“What—what in the world is happening?!”

Kellyburn shouted, completely forgetting his noble composure. Leon understood his panic—he wasn’t a warrior; he couldn’t have fully grasped what had just occurred.

So Leon gave a brief explanation.

“A humanoid demon beast has appeared.”

Kellyburn’s eyes widened at Leon’s words. His face turned grave, proof that he knew what that meant.

Leon felt a wave of relief—thankfully, Kellyburn was indeed a duke. Very few even knew of the existence of humanoid demon beasts.

If Leon had to stop and explain everything in detail, he would’ve gone mad from frustration first.

Now, he could focus solely on his thoughts.

‘The Duke must have unseen bodyguards protecting him. Where are they?’

The clash between Mikelan and that thing sent ripples of aura strong enough to be felt from afar.

If they were nearby, surely they would’ve noticed.

Just as Leon searched for signs of them—

“Oh? You possess quite an interesting Blessing, don’t you?”

Before they had even walked a hundred steps, that voice came again—from right behind them.

At the same time, Leon’s foot caught on something, and he fell. Naturally, Duke Kellyburn, who had been in Leon’s arms, also tumbled to the ground.

Leon immediately turned around—and there it was. The humanoid demon beast.

Even such a small opening would have been a perfect chance for it to kill him.

However, the creature merely stood still, gazing intently at Leon. Leon stared back.

Unlike the previous demon beast he had encountered, this one had the appearance of a woman.

And not just any woman—she possessed an alluring beauty. A face any man would find himself captivated by, and a voluptuous, curvaceous body.

Especially the chest that she supported with one hand—it was enough to make men lose their senses.

Strangely, even though she was a demon beast, she wore clothes. That, if anything, only heightened her bewitching charm.

The only thing distinctly inhuman about her was the pair of strange horns jutting from her head.

Without those, she could easily be mistaken for a human woman.

“Just as I thought—how interesting.”

The creature finally opened her mouth.

“My name is Superbia. And you, boy—what’s your name?”

Leon glared at Superbia without answering. The fact that a demon beast had a name didn’t surprise him.

Unlike ordinary beasts, humanoid demon beasts possessed intelligence. That meant it wasn’t strange for them to name themselves.

Rather than respond, Leon glanced past her at Mikelan, who was lying collapsed in the background. His body still twitched slightly. He seemed unable to move, but that didn’t matter.

All Leon needed to confirm was that Mikelan was still alive.

“Is that fallen one really so important to you?”

Superbia’s voice came soft and teasing—as though she could read his every thought.

She smiled, running her tongue over her lips in a languidly sensual motion.

“So, what’s your name?”

He had a feeling that if he didn’t answer soon, she would strike. Thankfully, revealing his name seemed to please her. She smiled slyly and rolled his name across her tongue repeatedly—

As though she were trying to memorize it.

Leon swallowed dryly. Why was this monster trying to remember his name?

But there was no time to think. Without him realizing, Superbia had already closed the distance between them.

The moment he recognized her presence, Leon swung his sword. It was a late reaction—he had already allowed her to approach—but doing nothing would be worse.

“Stay still, won’t you?”

As expected, his blade never reached her. She caught it effortlessly with her bare hand and yanked it toward her.

Naturally, Leon, who held the sword, was pulled forward as well.

“How curious. You’re no giant—so why does a human possess the Blessing of Growth Suppression? What could the gods have been thinking, giving you such a blessing? Anyway…”

Superbia lifted a finger and pressed it lightly to Leon’s forehead.

“Aren’t you curious what would happen if this blessing disappeared?”

She didn’t wait for an answer. Leon felt something vile and invasive surge into his head.

Sparks burst from Leon’s forehead—the collision between the divine blessing’s energy and the foul energy of the demon beast.

Leon’s eyes shook wildly. Though Superbia was infusing him with demonic energy, he remained unharmed.

The god’s blessing protected him.

But Leon didn’t realize that. He only knew he was still alive—and he forced his mind to focus.

He didn’t miss the opening.

His blade tore across her abdomen, splitting it open. Blood poured forth—naturally so.

She hadn’t defended herself at all, allowing the strike to land at point-blank range.

It was a wonder her upper body hadn’t been cleaved in two.

And yet, Superbia smiled. Even as her body was split, her face shone with wild delight—as if this moment thrilled her beyond measure.

Leon’s hair, streaked faintly with red before, began to change color.

Leon’s hair turned redder as his power increased—a trait of his special lineage.

That was why he panicked. Why was his hair turning red all of a sudden?

His arm twisted grotesquely. It happened in an instant—too fast to react.

A low groan escaped him.

The pain was intense, but Leon had endured far worse countless times in his previous life.

This alone wouldn’t break his resolve.

Instead, he struck back—using his uninjured arm to unleash the Infinite Void Heart Fist.

Whatever was happening to his body, it was Superbia’s doing.

He didn’t know the details—but he had to stop her.

Superbia was hurled back, skidding across the ground. Yet her expression was filled with ecstasy.

“Yes! I knew it! My guess wasn’t wrong! How can a mere human possess such monstrous talent?”

Leon didn’t understand what she was saying. He simply moved.

He knew his body was collapsing.

So he used the best move he could.

In a blink, Leon’s form vanished and reappeared right before Superbia. The speed was terrifying—faster even than when Mikelan had charged earlier.

Superbia’s eyes widened in surprise—she couldn’t keep up. She had no time to react.

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Once again, Leon’s Infinite Void Heart Fist smashed into her face.

The power was enough to knock out even a skilled warrior.

Even a humanoid demon beast, said to rival knights, should have felt the shock.

But contrary to his expectations, Superbia looked fine.

A trickle of blood ran from her nose, proof that she’d taken some damage—but she seemed entirely too composed.

“Incredible! A newborn humanoid beast would’ve been finished by that strike!”

Superbia burst into crazed laughter, clutching her bleeding stomach as she giggled hysterically.

Leon’s vision blurred. Ever since she had touched him, his body had been acting strangely. His consciousness was slipping away.

He couldn’t die here.

He still had things to accomplish. His dream—to become the greatest warrior in Elphrel. He couldn’t die before surpassing his father.

“My, my… I only meant to stop by briefly before heading to the Imperial Palace.”

A deep, resonant male voice filled the air. All eyes turned toward the source.

The voice alone carried such weight that it commanded attention.

“It’s been a while, Superbia.”

The mad smile froze on her face.

“What’s wrong? Why don’t you keep laughing? I, too, can’t help but smile right now.”

In that instant, a ferocious aura erupted from Reinhardt’s entire body.

It was a killing intent so immense that every living being instinctively cowered.

It was hard to believe that such overwhelming presence came from a single man.

“So, what will you do now, Superbia? Thanks to you, I think my friend is going to scold me.”

Reinhardt’s eyes were cold as ice as he spoke.