Chapter 97 – Nakdong River (1)

The next day, an expedition army camp was completed at the university site where the safe zone had been.

Perhaps because news spread that a bridgehead was established, after the camp was completed more troops poured through the gate.

Though there were knights, soldiers and mages we had fought with before, there were also many unfamiliar knights.

It seemed the allied forces had received additional reinforcements while we were in this world.

Well, with the Demon King fleeing and a gate opening to another world, nobles and countries that had been holding back naturally wouldn’t stay away.

Though it was surprising they moved this quickly on a continent where communication wasn’t easy like this world.

Several nobles came through too.

Viscounts, barons, and counts.

In the end, the noble I reported to yesterday returned to his staff position, and the camp commander position was taken by the Imperial count I had seen when I first came here.

Though the human allied forces facing the Demon King’s army didn’t have the Empire so blatantly taking command in that world…

Seems those above had more complicated calculations than expected.

After the camp was completed and proper command was established, the command met with the waiting US military.

As I said yesterday, Seo Eun volunteered to mediate between both armies.

Though they could communicate with the mages present, someone who knew both sides was needed to understand each other’s cultures.

Of course, I was far more qualified for that role, but I couldn’t take it.

Though I wanted to hear what conversations were exchanged, I had other business at that time.

So Seo Eun, Hoffman, and Zahina participated as support for that meeting.

The nobles attending the meeting were displeased I didn’t attend, but they couldn’t say anything to me.

Because the person they should express dissatisfaction to wasn’t me but the Sword Master.

I heard later that the US military was looking for me too.

It was incomprehensible, but at the time I had no leisure to care about that.

While people gathered in the meeting room were looking for me, I was being thoroughly drilled.

“You can’t just dodge there trusting your senses. If it’s an enemy that can deceive senses, you’ll just get hit!”

Bang!

A scabbard struck the back of my head after I dodged a corpse golem’s fist.

It was a scabbard swung by the elderly knight from behind.

An attack with no killing intent or mana imbued. Moreover the speed was brutally fast making it impossible to dodge with my senses and mana detection.

Though I barely succeeded in deflecting it, even that much made my head ring making it hard to regain my senses.

Ugh.

With dazed mind I launched my body and cut off the neck of the charging corpse golem, then looked back.

The old man was clicking his tongue looking at me with scabbard on his shoulder.

I twitched my eyebrows looking at the tongue-clicking Sword Master.

‘This old geezer.’

Being a Sword Master or whatever.

Ambushing me while fighting undead.

Moreover, hiding all mana and killing intent.

No, without being Sword Master level, there couldn’t be enemies ambushing me like this.

Moreover, undead weren’t creatures that hid their energy.

Unless fighting the Demon King or his direct subordinates,

Other undead didn’t hide death energy.

Corps commanders were the same. The lich hiding its energy was exceptional.

Since I wouldn’t fight the Sword Master, and the Demon King and his direct subordinates would be faced by the hero to be established again, I couldn’t understand why he was doing this to me.

As I glared, the tongue-clicking old man opened his mouth.

“You’re relying too much on strengthened abilities. Plus your basics are disrupted from continuous actual combat. Keep fighting like this and you’ll become a beast not a knight.”

I had to lower my raised eyebrows at the old man’s words.

Because they weren’t wrong. Getting hit while listening to him now was for the same reason.

Yesterday after finishing reporting, I was caught by Count Schoppenheim the Sword Master and came out of the university.

He took me toward Daejeon Station with the twin buildings. Just because there were many undead.

And made me fight undead saying he needed to see my skills.

I had to do as he ordered.

Though I disliked being dragged around, it was still difficult to defy a Sword Master.

Moreover, what the Sword Master forcibly ordered was for my sake.

“Honestly it’s hard to believe you grew this much with just blurred basics. Obviously ordinary knights wouldn’t be a match, and you can even catch medium-sized magical beasts alone.”

Watching me handle undead, he frankly praised me then pointed out problems.

“That’s the problem. Bad habits are gradually forming. The habit of fighting absolutely trusting senses.

Though there’s no reason not to trust such sharp senses, still it’s troublesome if sword forms break because of those senses.

Even while using senses, moving and defeating enemies should be done with learned swordsmanship.”

He kept giving advice watching me fight.

Not just advice. Thanks to him suddenly attacking like just now, I couldn’t let my guard down even briefly.

Like that I fought undead through the night.

“Though temporary, seems you’ve found the path.”

He stopped the fight after finally striking my head.

Only then could I look around.

Undead filled the surroundings.

Zombies, skeletons, even corpse golems. Hundreds of undead corpses were piled up.

No moving undead were visible around. The corpse golem whose neck I just cut off was the last.

Besides that corpse golem, several shattered corpse golems were visible.

Thinking about it was absurd.

Corpse golems were undead impossible to catch alone before coming to this world.

Even the first corpse golem I caught after coming to this world wasn’t caught this easily.

Yet to cut off its neck in one strike with just an ordinary longsword.

Though I just swung my sword recalling learned swordsmanship, my skill had increased several times from before.

But the Sword Master seemed displeased with my swordsmanship.

“Actually that swordsmanship doesn’t seem suitable for a knight of your level, but well that can’t be helped.”

My swordsmanship couldn’t please the Sword Master.

The swordsmanship I learned was from two knights in the territory where I grew up.

Being swordsmanship from just two knights in a small territory, it couldn’t be impressive swordsmanship.

Though it helped a lot when I first became a free knight, the reason I gradually ignored swordsmanship was because it wasn’t impressive.

But as the Sword Master said, this was the only swordsmanship I had learned.

“What a shame, if you became my disciple I could teach swordsmanship suitable for you…”

The Sword Master tempted me one last time, but I didn’t get caught in his words.

‘Can’t do it. Can’t get hooked already.’

Though knights would come running with eyes rolled back for the Sword Master’s swordsmanship, the old man’s swordsmanship was family swordsmanship.

Though very regrettable, learning House Schoppenheim’s swordsmanship would mean being tied down for life.

“Well, business is finished so shall I return?”

The old man put his scabbard back on and stretched.

I put my sword on too and asked the Sword Master.

“Are you returning to Ea?”

The old man nodded.

“Going to the Empire. Being a precious body even though I look like this, can’t wander around carelessly. Just took some time because they asked for help with the allied forces crossing safely so now I must return.”

Well, the Sword Master was the Empire’s strategic weapon.

A strategic weapon, fewer than 10 people who could take down super-large magical beasts alone and defeat Demon King’s army corps commanders.

They wouldn’t easily send such a weapon to another world.

‘Conversely does that mean the Empire considers this world that important?’

Though temporary, still the Empire sent a Sword Master.

Though political aspects were involved like an Imperial count becoming camp commander, anyway they sent a Sword Master strategic weapon as advance party to an unfamiliar world with the Demon King.

It wasn’t just sent to defeat the Demon King, as I expected the Empire and other countries seemed to have other thoughts.

I couldn’t help but sigh.

Other thoughts when the hero died.

Everyone was looking down on the Demon King because he fled.

Or perhaps they were relieved since their world was safe.

Either way everyone was underestimating the Demon King too much.

Though they didn’t know, the Demon King had become much more fearsome.

A Demon King’s army using this world’s weapons was a completely different army from the Demon King’s army we fought.

Though I explained earnestly yesterday too, it didn’t seem to sink in.

Seems they would only realize after getting their heads cracked.

However, it would be troublesome if I was there when that cracking happened.

Though I hunted undead all night, many undead remained.

Dozens of undead blocked our way returning to camp too.

I could confirm the Sword Master’s skill once more on the spot.

I got to directly see what happens when a mana-possessing knight uses swordsmanship at its extreme.

On the street where dozens of skeletons and zombies fell,

All fallen skeletons and zombies had their necks cut off.

This alone wasn’t impressive, but the problem was this was all done with one sword swing.

One strike unleashed with extreme swordsmanship.

How it was possible, even mana detection and enhanced senses couldn’t tell.

The old man sheathed his sword and said to me.

“Come visit our family if you come to the Empire. Even if not becoming a disciple, there should be ways to help.”

I couldn’t help but ask at the old man’s words.

“Why are you being so good to me…”

The old man’s help wasn’t political or calculated.

But that made it more incomprehensible.

It wouldn’t be chivalry in this era either.

The old man smiled bitterly at my words.

“Family tradition. No, just think of it as an old knight’s meddling.”

The old man just said that then walked ahead shuffling.

And he immediately crossed back through the gate returning to his homeland.

After the old man left, the new commander called for me.

Entering the temporary office, he stood and welcomed me patting my shoulder.

“I picked the right person. I knew you would do it.”

The new commander was Count Rihart. The noble who had left me here.

For that reason I wasn’t very glad to see him, but I didn’t show it.

Actually though I only half succeeded with the hero dying, the count didn’t show that either.

“Seems I should reward you for accomplishing great things, is there anything you want?”

“I want to be discharged.”

I said what I wanted most at the count’s words.

“Don’t joke. You know that’s impossible before the Demon King dies.”

As expected, it wouldn’t happen.

“…Then I’d like leave at least. My weapons and armor are all broken and need repairs.”

“Hmm, certainly difficult to fix here. Fortunately there are supplies that came, so make do with those for now. And if you handle this job well, I’ll let you cross the gate.”

Saying reward but throwing work at me.

Still should I be grateful that he’ll let me return briefly if I finish the job.

“What kind of job?”

“Reconnaissance. The destination is scouting remnant undead gathered by the southern river, the Nakdong River.”

He spread out a map.

On the map clearly received from the US military was drawn the Nakdong River line created by the Demon King’s army.