“Now I understand why it was reported as dark magic.”
Eleanor’s eyes gleamed coldly as she gazed at the troll corpse before her.
A corpse that should have been twitching with intense vitality even in death was dried up and stuck to the floor like an ancient relic from ages past.
Its dreadful appearance resembled those who had fallen victim to typical dark magic.
“But at the same time, it is completely different.”
She channeled divine power into her hand and touched the corpse. Even though a pure white light enveloped her, the remains showed no reaction whatsoever.
“If this were a corpse afflicted by dark magic, black smoke would have poured out upon contact with divine power.”
Corpses afflicted by dark magic retained a faint but malevolent aura. This was an inherent weakness of dark magic itself, a phenomenon no dark magician could prevent.
Yet she could not feel even the slightest malevolent aura from these remains.
No, it went beyond that.
“I cannot feel any aura at all.”
Gone was the faint life force that should have remained in the troll, and gone was the trace of mana that would have seeped from troll blood used as an alchemical ingredient.
As if something had devoured every last bit of its energy.
And such a phenomenon was, to the best of her knowledge, impossible.
Yes, “to the best of her knowledge.”
Eleanor turned her gaze to look at Asyeon.
Unlike when they first met, when he had looked strained from suppressing his aura, he was now controlling his power with ease.
“Just what is that power?”
Reacting to divine power in this way already defied the properties of ordinary auras. But if it could cause an “impossible phenomenon” like this on top of that…
“Can I truly permit this as something other than dark magic?”
A small sigh escaped Eleanor’s lips.
She stood in a position to pass judgment on behalf of the Lord, yet she could not easily arrive at an answer.
“E-Excuse me. Is there some kind of problem…?”
The company commander, frightened by Eleanor’s behavior, approached her with a cautious attitude.
Eleanor organized her thoughts for a moment and then slowly opened her mouth.
“First, let me give you the good news, Commander Aaron. I have not found any traces of dark magic on these remains. So you need not worry about being sent to a witch trial.”
“I-Is that so? That’s truly a relief.”
Just as the commander let out a sigh of relief, Eleanor continued in a calm tone.
“It is too soon to be relieved. There is also bad news.”
“What do you mean by bad news…?”
“You wrote falsehoods in your report.”
Eleanor looked down at the commander, her azure eyes holding a cold light.
“Your report stated that several soldiers jointly captured the troll. However, these remains show no ordinary external wounds. Am I wrong?”
“Th-That is…”
“Allow me to explain that.”
Before the commander could answer with his pale face, Rena immediately interjected.
“The reason the troll’s corpse is in such a state is that we used a secret poison passed down through our Kurdan tribe. Because a special poison was used, the corpse is naturally unusual.”
Rena spoke in a clear, ringing voice, her attitude nothing short of bold.
Another investigator might have been fooled on the spot.
But unfortunately, her opponent was Eleanor.
“Soldier Rena. Your actions to protect your comrade are honorable. However, lying is unbecoming of a Kurdan. I have conducted operations with Kurdan mercenaries on several occasions. I already know that no such poison exists.”
Eleanor, who had been looking at Rena with pitying eyes, turned her gaze from Rena back to the commander.
“Now, Commander Aaron. This is your last chance. Tell me what happened. Otherwise, I will have to change my investigation methods. Surely that is not what you want?”
Eleanor deliberately gripped the haft of her warhammer. The hammerhead, larger than a grown man’s head, gleamed white, clouding the commander’s vision.
Beneath that light, the commander’s expression shifted moment by moment.
Fear toward Asyeon, worry for his family, and a faint sense of guilt. Passing through all those emotions, his face finally reached a desperation that he could not die like this.
In the end, he squeezed his eyes shut and shouted loudly.
“It was all that bastard Asyeon’s doing! All the soldiers testified that he manipulated blood to devour the troll. I fled at the time and know nothing. Please forgive me!”
“That bastard!”
Rena growled like a wolf at the commander who blamed everything on Asyeon, but she could not move because Eleanor stopped her.
In the brief silence, Eleanor looked back and forth between Asyeon and the commander with an expression of weighing something.
Soon, as if having made her decision, her gaze fixed on the commander.
“Thank you for your cooperation, Commander. And for your confession.”
“Pardon?”
“Did you not just say that you reported falsely? Know that this will be conveyed exactly as is to Count Molten.”
The commander stood in place with his mouth hanging open as if his soul had left his body, but Eleanor paid him no heed and turned her gaze to Asyeon.
“Soldier Asyeon. Only your answer remains now. What words will you use to escape my investigation this time?”
Asyeon said nothing in response to Eleanor’s question.
He merely kept his head bowed in silence.
After a moment, what came from Asyeon’s mouth was a laugh that was neither affirmation nor denial.
The moment Eleanor furrowed her brow at the deep satisfaction felt in that laugh, Asyeon slowly began to speak.
“Thank you for moving exactly as expected, Commander.”
Asyeon raised his head with a distinct smile etched on his face.
Asyeon looked at the commander briefly, then erased his smile and looked at Eleanor.
Confidence settled on his face, the laughter gone.
“Yes, let me answer you, Sir Eleanor. I hunted the troll.”
As he answered, Asyeon’s eyes looked straight at Eleanor.
**
“You answer obediently this time, unlike before.”
Eleanor looked at me with a face full of questioning upon hearing my answer.
“Until now, the conditions for properly conversing with you hadn’t been met.”
“Conditions?”
“Yes, I judged that several conditions were needed to speak with you on equal footing.”
“Arrogant.”
Upon hearing my words, divine power surged roughly from Eleanor’s body.
“You are the subject of my investigation. And you thought you could have an equal conversation with me?”
An oppressive attitude that looked like she would strike me dead at any moment.
In response, I examined her hand.
She still harbored wariness toward me, but unlike when we first met, her hand was not on her warhammer’s haft.
“Stop with the threats. I know there’s no killing intent.”
“…Not bad.”
Eleanor, who had glared at me briefly, immediately withdrew her divine power.
Soon, a gaze filled with curiosity rather than killing intent reached me.
Evidence that she felt curiosity toward me.
That was the first condition I had aimed for.
“First, I wanted you to feel curiosity toward me rather than hostility.”
“You’ve succeeded. Is that all?”
“Of course not. You also had to consider me not dangerous.”
“Did you wish to show that you could control your power even within my sphere of influence? You succeeded. But merely that does not make it possible to have an equal conversation with me.”
“That’s why I needed one more person.”
Answering Eleanor, I approached Senior Rena and placed my hand on her shoulder.
Surprised by my sudden action, the senior let out a small shriek, but I suppressed the urge to tease her and continued my conversation with Eleanor.
“The next condition was having Senior Rena vouch for me.”
“Huh, wait, what do I have to do with this?”
Upon hearing my words, Senior Rena turned to me curiously even before Eleanor.
“A member of the War Church wouldn’t judge someone evil when a Kurdan is willing to protect them even if it means lying.”
“…Kurdans are honorable warriors. They despise lies.”
Eleanor glanced at Senior Rena and nodded.
“It is true that my resolve wavered when Soldier Rena stepped forward. Very well, you used your head well. Is this the end?”
“One more remains.”
I looked at the commander, who wore a bewildered expression, and let out a snicker.
“I needed the commander’s confession.”
“You needed someone to take responsibility for the false report.”
“There’s no need to leave a weakness to grab and shake while talking.”
The commander trembled and pointed his finger at me upon hearing this, but it was nothing of great importance.
I looked straight at Eleanor.
“These are the conditions I had in mind. And it seems fortune favored me, as they all fell into place.”
Eleanor closed her eyes and fell into thought, showing no reaction to my words.
It was an expression of deep contemplation, but based on the personality I had grasped, she would not suddenly show hostility here.
As expected, Eleanor opened her eyes and smiled at me as if amused.
“I like it. Both your logic and nerve are enough to impress me. Then I shall ask this of an equal, Soldier Asyeon. Just what kind of being are you?”
Instead of answering, I extended my hand forward. Then, red liquid extending from my palm took shape and eventually transformed into a long stake.
At the same time, the gambeson I was wearing was no longer in its original form, having transformed into scale armor imbued with a red light.
I revealed my equipment without reserve and opened my mouth to her.
“I am the successor who inherited his armament from Seonhyeolgyeong. The only reason I could catch the troll was thanks to the armament passed down by him.”
“Do you mean the legendary vampire knight of legend?”
Eleanor let out a slight exclamation of wonder upon seeing the weapon I possessed, then looked at me with doubtful eyes. Yet unable to deny the phenomenon before her, she eventually nodded.
“Honestly, it is hard to believe, but it is an answer that explains much. From your strange power to the skill with which you caught the troll.”
“So may I consider my proof complete with this?”
“No, not yet. I have confirmed you are not a heretic, but the danger your power poses remains an unknown. To unleash such a thing upon the world without care would be a sin for a paladin.”
I quietly watched her, waiting for her lips to open.
I did not know what she wished to confirm, but the emotion visible in her eyes now was intrigue.
She had absolutely no intention of harming me.
“Soldier Asyeon, won’t you prove yourself to me?”
“What would you have me prove?”
“I wish to see how far this unknown power of yours can be controlled, and how it will unfold on the battlefield. And personally, I also wish to fight against this power.”
Somehow, an attitude like a child who had discovered a new toy.
Feeling this to be the case, I nonetheless accepted her proposal obediently.
And so, about thirty minutes later.
In the center of the training grounds, a space for my duel with Eleanor had been prepared.