Playing the Perfect Fox-Eyed Villain Chapter 59

Episode 59. The Black Knight (2)

“The black mask that covers the face and the swordsmanship that seems to embrace the moonlight, it’s just as Grandpa Luger said!”

Lupina spoke with a somewhat heated tone. Naturally, I couldn't understand why she was acting so excitedly.

Is this sight, this situation not scary? I thought so, and checked my reflection in her wide-open eyes.

My reflection was far from the 'Black Knight', but the atmosphere I was carrying was strangely similar.

'……no way.'

There is currently no 'black knight' in this world.

To be exact, the one who is supposed to fulfill the role of 'Black Knight' is abandoning that duty.

'I am doing the work that Haydn Reich was supposed to do.'

Did my name end up in that empty space?

'this.'

I have no intention of becoming a 'black knight'. I just prevented the story of this work from deviating from its original course.

“I, I……, I wanted to see you once! When I heard it from Grandpa Luger, I thought it was nonsense……!”

Lupina, who had risen from her seat, began to approach me with a refreshed expression as if she had seen her idol. I opened my mouth without realizing it, as I was trying to organize my thoughts.

“Don't come near me.”

I said, "Oops." But the words I blurted out without realizing it were not the polite language I usually use.

"……yes?"

“I told you not to come near me.”

Of course, this isn't polite speech.

It seems to be related to the 'Black Knight' trait I just acquired.

“Where is Luger?”

“Lu, Grandpa Luger passed away early.”

“So you’re saying it’s not in this building?”

"yes."

Lupina nodded. Looking at her, I vaguely understood why Lupina was being chased.

“Then the remaining one is not Luger…….”

Kwajik──!

The moment I turned my head at the sudden feeling of murder, something sharp flew towards me.

Luckily, 'Sombra' flowed out and stopped it before it reached my body.

“That’s ridiculous!”

The one who fired the blade made of mana was none other than Bishop Pintel of the Dawn Order. He looked in this direction with a dumbfounded expression.

“That magic just now is a magic that contains all the know-how accumulated while reaching the 4th level!”

The presence felt on the second floor must have belonged to Pintel. The mana blade blocked by Sombra fell to the ground and disappeared like smoke.

“It was a special magic developed to have no speed, activation time, or sound… How could it react!?”

“It wasn’t as great a magic as they were making such a fuss about.”

“What, what!?”

I looked at Pintel's face. I tried my best not to show it, but I could see a hint of impatience on his face.

“fu*k.”

With a brief swear word, Pintel glanced around at the fallen church members.

“Even that idiot wearing a mask is getting in my way.”

The guy muttered to himself. Suddenly, he felt angry even though he shouldn't have any thoughts.

Is it because of the swearing about the mask? Even though he has a mustache that looks like a Pringles map.

After a moment, a faint light flickered from Pintel's hand, and the mana blade we had seen earlier poured out from his hand.

This time it wasn't so fast that it was invisible, but it was definitely bigger than before.

'This can't be stopped.'

This time, I decided that I couldn't respond with 'Sombra', so I took a big step back.

The idea was correct. The 'mana blade' embedded in the ground was spinning like a chainsaw, digging deep into the ground.

'He took one look at my Sombra and changed his attack method.'

As expected, he's the first to get hit, but a bishop is a bishop, right?

‘… … What should I do?’

Honestly, I don't want to fight. The battle with 'Bishop' is too risky, and one wrong move could lead to fatal injuries.

'Should I run away?'

Not a bad choice. Pintel's target, 'Luger', is not in this building right now, so he will retreat today.

“I see. So you’re that guy.”

After a moment of hesitation, Pintel quietly muttered and raised his cane. There was a look of displeasure in his sharp eyes.

“That bastard who raided the carriage and stole the soul stone.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Stop talking nonsense, you son of a bitch!”

Pintel, who was listening to my answer, shouted.

“That impression is quite similar to what I heard from my subordinates.”

Really? I think you should change your clothes too.

“What is your purpose, you punk?”

Pintel continued speaking in a much calmer voice.

“He walks around with his face covered, but he doesn’t seem to be part of the ‘Nameless Guest Group’, and he doesn’t seem to be a follower of the black guy either.”

Of course not both.

“Then what is your purpose? Why are you targeting us?”

“World peace.”

Sarcastic speech. It seems that even if it is not 'formal speech', the 'Yurian' personality does not disappear.

Because of that, Pintel's face began to turn red.

“It looks like a fool.”

As Pintel raised his wand and prepared for his next spell, I quickly kicked the ground to close the distance between us.

'Moonlight Sword.'

… … I guess I shouldn’t use that. If I want to hide my identity.

The distance was shortened in an instant thanks to the tremendous force. If it was an ordinary magician, he would have panicked, but Pintel's actions seemed calm.

'Was it a trap?'

Suddenly, I felt a flow of mana behind me. The 'Mana Saw Blade' that Pintel had planted earlier had not disappeared after digging into the ground.

“Back, back!”

Along with Lupina's urgent cry, I felt the 'Mana Saw' pointed at me again from behind.

After barely switching places in the air and avoiding the saw blade flying from behind, this time Pintel is seen casting a spell.

“You can’t avoid it in the air.”

As the guy said, there's no avoiding it in the air. So, I tied Pintel's hands with 'Sombra' and pulled him towards me.

“Ugh!”

After that, I kicked the guy who was pulled towards me in the forehead.

“……Ugh.”

However, the 'Mana Saw Blade' that poured out during the process ended up getting stuck in my side. I bit my lip in excruciating pain, but the first thing to do was to deal with Pintel.

Whether the kick had worked or not, a handful of blood flowed from the corner of Pintel’s mouth as he knelt down. Even so, a hint of hostility could be seen in his eyes.

'I have to finish this quickly.'

If the fight drags on now without the use of the long-range 'Moonlight Sword', there is no telling what variables may arise.

“Coolook, you son of a bitch!”

As I approached, Pintel raised his cane with a murderous expression. No, to be exact, he tried to raise it.

“What, what is it!?”

Pintel's staff stuck to the ground. There, 'Sombra', who had been attached when pulling the guy, was showing off his presence.

“I can’t take it off……!”

Bam──!

When I hit the jaw of the startled Pintel with the pommel, the shock shook his brain and he convulsed and then became quiet.

'Phew.'

I sighed in relief at the sight and looked at my side. The pain was minimal due to the adrenaline rush, but I could feel blood flowing.

After I defeated Pintel, I remembered what he had said.

'Anonymous Guest Group'

Like 'Six Fingers' and 'Blood Demon Group', it is one of the organizations that divides the slums into three.

It's connected to one of the Bishops of the Dawn Order, but it's not something that's surfaced enough for Pintel to know about.

“Hey, are you okay?”

After defeating Pintel and taking advantage of the moment of silence lost in thought, Lupina came out and asked.

"okay."

“Still, the wounds need to be treated.”

“No need. By the way.”

After adjusting my mask, I turned my gaze to Lupina.

“Don’t tell anyone about me.”

"……why?"

Well, the 'Black Knight' is not me, but Haydn Reich. If rumors spread, it could cause trouble.

“You don’t need to know why.”

"……no, I do not want."

Lupina, who thought he was scared, gave an unexpected answer.

“If you really are the ‘Black Knight’ in the story, you shouldn’t hide like you used to!”

Lupina spoke in a somewhat hazy, yet powerful tone.

“……I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Just like in the past, we shouldn’t repeat the same mistakes.”

What kind of past is the past? I'm like a newborn in this world.

“Anyway! I have no intention of hiding it!”

A voice and expression that conveys strong will.

I had a feeling it would be difficult to convince her.

***

The next day after such a commotion, Linne returned to the 'Twilight Flame' to pick up the custom-made sword and tilted her head at the commotion.

“I told you it’s true!”

At the center of the commotion was Lupina. In her usual, compelling voice, she was talking to Luger, the owner of the 'Twilight Flame'.

Unlike usual, Lupina's face was flushed red.

“Don’t lie. That story is just a popular fiction from the old days!”

“Really, Grandpa Luger!”

Listening to Rufina's appeal, Rinne slowly approached her.

When Lupina, who had been shouting loudly, saw Linne approaching, her already red face became even more intense. There was no way Luger could miss that. He clicked his tongue and crossed his arms.

“Tsk, it seems you vaguely know that this is a ridiculous story.”

“Oh, I said no!”

“All right! Just hand the sword to Linne and rest.”

Luger, who had put down his sword, turned his head and walked into the private workshop. Lupina, who was watching his back, could only sigh.

“Sister Lupina.”

“Yeah, our Linne is here. You came to find the sword, right? Let’s go.”

"yes."

When Lupina motioned for Rinne to follow her, Rinne followed her. Soon after, the workshop they had seen before came into view.

“But Sister, what happened? There’s a bit of a commotion in the blacksmith shop?”

At Linne's question, Lupina quickly turned her head. As if she had been waiting for that question, a smile appeared on her lips.

“Yesterday, a stranger broke into our building.”

“……A strange man?”

“I don’t know their purpose, but anyway, some scary people have invaded illegally.”

“Were those people caught safely?”

“Yeah, the military police took him away.”

Linne said, "Thank goodness" when it ended without any damage.

“That’s not the problem, Linne!”

"……yes?"

“The black knight has appeared.”

“……Black Knight?”

"huh!"

Lupina nodded vigorously.

“It was that black knight who saved me from those weirdos I mentioned earlier!”

That's a joke.

Rinne was about to say something like that, but looking into Lupina's sincere eyes, she couldn't easily get the words out.

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah! Linne should have seen that refined swordsmanship… It was like dancing under the moonlight!”

"haha……."

Linne smiled awkwardly. After all, she couldn't believe it.

Black Knight.

It is clearly a folk tale that has been circulating in the empire for a long time. Now, it is a story known only to those in the know, but it is an oral tale that Linne knew from the information she had obtained while trying to understand the public sentiment as a daughter of the 'Londobell family'.

That means.

It also meant that the existence of the 'Black Knight' only existed in fiction.

“Linne, you don’t believe me either?”

Linnaeus' thoughts seemed to be reflected on his face.

“Is this why your voice was raised in front of Uncle Luger earlier?”

“Yeah, I actually saw it! Even if I told you that the Black Knight was real, you wouldn’t believe me!”

“……Me, me too.”

Lupina sighed deeply as she watched her reaction.

“Well, I knew it……. Ugh.”

Linne smiled slightly as she saw Lupina turn around with a sigh and a sour look on her face.

'… … But, swordsmanship that looks like dancing under the moonlight?'

There is only one person who has a guess.

'Surely not… … , right?'

The guess soon began to fade from my mind. As Lupina had mentioned, a man with a beautiful sword that reminded me of 'moonlight'.

But if he had no 'purpose', he would never help others without a reason, as he is so indifferent to others that it's scary.

'Yeah, definitely not Yulian.'

Linnaeus was so sure.

***

After inevitably acquiring the character of 'Black Knight', I went to work as usual, opened the newspaper, and started looking through the contents.

'I told you not to talk about me.'

[The best blacksmith in the system, the 'Twilight Flame', is a group of villains who have ill feelings toward it.]

[The one who saved the 'Twilight Flame' from danger was none other than the Black Knight!?]

You've been talking about everything, whether it's something you have or not.

Most of the articles in 'The Black Knight' mention the name 'Lupina Orland'.

I told him not to say anything, but he ended up telling everything.

I folded the newspaper carefully and threw it far away on the table, and the 'Sombra' flowing out of my palm safely carried it to the table.

'Ugh.'

I felt a pain in my side. The wound from the magic Pintel used had not yet fully healed.

'Certainly… …, a bishop is a bishop.'

Although it is said that he is the first to suffer in the story of this work, it seems that the title of Bishop is not given to just anyone.

'By the way, the topic of the Black Knight is quite low.'

The story of the 'Black Knight' occupied only part of page three, not the headlines or front pages of the newspapers.

It seems that the world also thinks that the existence of the 'Black Knight' exists only in imagination. So it seems that it is not treated as important.

'Well, it's not really a hot topic, you know.'

The problem is that it is unclear what he will do once he takes over the role of 'Haydn Reich'.

In the previously seen 'DLC trailer', the video ended with Yurian revealing the identity of the 'Black Knight' and severing the breaths of Haydn Reich and Linne.

'Now that Haydn Reich is no longer the Black Knight, that won't happen.'

Because of that, it became impossible to know what our 'main character's' future actions would be.

'Should I tail Haydn Reich?'