The crushed mechanical wreckage tilted and toppled to the side. Thick dust billowed out, and the chain binding the two figures quivered faintly from the vibration. Ian exhaled a heavy puff of cigarette smoke, recreated a steel plate rolling nearby, shaped it into a chair, and sat down.
“First, knight. You first.”
Ian spoke. He reloaded his revolver and looked down at Teobaran.
“Your purpose for coming to Korea. And the reason you attacked me.”
“……..”
“Just like you said, try to explain yourself. I’ll listen and judge.”
“First, my target wasn’t you. Gunnar was my target.”
Teobaran mumbled in awkward Korean. However, his voice was so soft that Ian clicked his tongue and ripped off the man’s helmet. Teobaran flinched for a moment, but soon let all strength drain from his body as if resigned.
Clack.
He undid the D-ring inside the helmet and completely removed it. The face revealed was more ordinary than expected.
Black hair and red pupils.
The blood-red pupils, devoid of any luster, were quite horrifying, but because he was tied in chains and sprawled on the floor, he didn’t feel very intimidating.
At a glance, it seemed deformed by sickness, but since it was irrelevant, Ian casually tossed the helmet aside. The heavy lump of metal struck the floor, producing a dull thud.
“Done. Now speak again.”
“……My target isn’t you. It’s Gunnar.”
“Gunnar?”
“I’m talking about this Viking.”
Teobaran’s gaze turned toward Gunnar, collapsed beside him. He met Teobaran’s eyes while blood continuously streamed from his mouth.
“What are you looking at…… you bastard…….”
No matter how one looked at it, he appeared to be a patient on the verge of death, so Ian clicked his tongue.
“So who told you to abuse rune magic?”
Instant activation, accumulation, installation, flow, bestowal, and so on. Rune magic, capable of all sorts of feats, might look like an all-purpose art at a glance, but the reality was not so.
There is no miracle without a price. There is even less magic without a price. Not even rune magic was exempt from this law.
“The manifestation of magic through characters. Using it a few times a day is no problem at all, but once a certain threshold is exceeded, an effect opposite to the character arrives like a backlash.”
“…….”
“So your body is probably rotting away in real time right now. Am I right?”
Ian wore a faint smile. Gunnar coughed up blood and burst into a wheezing laugh.
“That’s why…… *cough*…… I told you I hate smart guys…….”
Gunnar had used all twenty rune magics. Among them, the one that had shown the most outstanding effect was the rune of regeneration.
Therefore, the concept opposite to regeneration—that is, collapse—was pounding his entire body like crazy.
Squelch.
With the sound of splitting flesh, his joints lost strength and gave way. Bloody fluid flowed continuously from torn and crushed organs, filling the inside of his abdomen. Refluxing blood streamed from his mouth, nose, eyes, and ears.
Ancient Vikings didn’t use rune magic enough for side effects to manifest, so it wasn’t an issue, but Gunnar was different. As long as one used rune magic as their primary means, side effects were unavoidable.
“…….”
Ian tilted the revolver in his hand and looked down at Gunnar.
There seemed to be no need to do anything more. Left alone, he would die by himself.
An injury that would have killed him long ago if not for the rune of regeneration. Yet even using it didn’t change the outcome much…… It truly couldn’t be anything but ironic.
‘He might have had a separate means to suppress the side effects, but there was no reason to let him use it.’
Click.
Ian raised the muzzle. As he aimed straight at Gunnar’s heart, the chain automatically adjusted the target’s position. As if saying shoot here, the chain slithered and fully exposed Gunnar’s chest.
“……*cough*.”
“Farewell.”
He had no intention of listening to any last words. Without hesitation, Ian pulled the trigger and crushed Gunnar’s heart.
Ka-dudududuk!!
The bullet that pierced through his body met the chain covering his back, creating a sharp noise. Because of that, Gunnar’s body, which had already lost its strength, swayed left and right from the bullet’s kinetic energy. It was a rather grotesque sight.
Before long, the bullet stopped moving, and along with it, Gunnar stopped moving too.
Instant death.
No matter how much of a Viking he was, there was no way to revive once his heart was destroyed.
Just to be sure, Ian approached Gunnar’s slumped corpse, checked his pulse, and only nodded after confirming that he was well and truly dead.
“……You’re a cautious one.”
He ignored the voice coming from beside him. Ian immediately used recreation magic to separate only Gunnar’s head, then roughly stuffed it into a pouch. Because he had perfectly sealed the cut surface through magic, blood didn’t flow out like crazy.
Instead, some blood that had yet to drain from the mouth, nose, and ears fell out, but that couldn’t be helped. He figured he would have to wipe it off when he used it later.
‘I wanted to interrogate him alive if possible, but it can’t be helped. I’ll have to extract just the brain and store it in a jar.’
Ian used recreation magic once more to resize the head so that only the brain could be preserved intact. He closed the pouch and put it inside his bag. The already heavy bag grew a bit heavier.
“Well then, Gunnar is dealt with.”
He straightened up and turned to Teobaran.
“Shall we finish the rest of our conversation?”
“……Since I’ve achieved my objective, there is no longer any need for us to fight.”
“I’m the one who decides that, not you.”
“You are right. Then allow me to correct myself. Please do not take my life. I still have much to do. I cannot die here. If necessary, I will kneel.”
“Is it acceptable for a knight to have such light knees?”
“Modern knights serve no liege. I swing my sword only for myself and for my comrades. If kneeling will save either, I will do so at any time.”
“…….”
Not a flicker of hesitation in his voice. Ian stared at him blankly for a moment, then let out a sigh and plopped down before him. Dust clung to his pants, but he paid it no heed and lightly waved his hand.
Swish.
The chains wrapped around Teobaran’s body partially loosened and vanished. Only the one chain left like a collar remained clamped around his neck without moving.
Actually, it would not have mattered if he had released them all. In his current state, Teobaran was practically no different from an ordinary person, so the absurd feat of dodging bullets was impossible.
But getting hit once while letting his guard down would be a headache all the same. Ian continued the conversation while leaving at least a minimum safeguard.
“The reason you attacked me?”
“Because I sensed the aura of an Outer God from you. Their favor covering your entire body was openly revealed, so I could not leave you be. But…… the very fact that we can converse like this now is proof that you are an entirely different person from Walter.”
“You know Walter?”
“I have not fought him. However, I have encountered him.”
Amelia crept timidly up to the two of them. Teobaran glanced at her, then fixed his gaze back on Ian.
“That alone was enough to learn what kind of man he is.”
“…….”
“A madman. That is the expression that suits him perfectly. The typical profile of a magician possessing a grimoire written by an Outer God. Whether he went mad because of the grimoire or was mad from the start, I do not know, but none of that matters anyway.”
Clank.
The chain wrapped around Teobaran’s neck writhed.
“What matters is that he holds human life cheap. After indiscriminately massacring no fewer than thirty people before my eyes, he is nothing but a simple villain to me.”
“So you judged me, who holds the same kind of grimoire, a villain as well.”
“Correct. It was because I sensed the aura of an Outer God from you. The recorded history of Outer God grimoires appearing is not long, yet the aftershocks they brought were enormous, so it was inevitable. Is it not right to erase what may bring future trouble?”
“Understood. But understanding does not mean I will let you go easily. Since you attacked me, I must receive compensation.”
Ian tilted the revolver in his hand. Teobaran nodded.
“I understand. What do you want? If it is money, I can give you any amount. I will give you my entire fortune.”
“Oh, how much?”
“Probably about twenty million won in Korean currency.”
“Fucking hell.”
Ian cursed at the amount, far smaller than expected. Teobaran tilted his head.
“What is that reaction? This is enough to live on. I never let more than 2,000 accumulate in my account.”
“……Hah.”
Ian sighed and lowered his gun.
“Just give me half the money. I’ll take the rest in something else.”
“Hmm. What? Just say it. If it is within my power, I shall do it.”
Teobaran spoke with a serious face. Ian thought for a while, then suddenly recalled the axe inside his coat and let out a sigh.
A melee weapon he had received as a freebie but did not know how to properly use.
He had been using it as a tool or swinging it haphazardly, but having never learned any weapon arts or martial arts, he was bound to be clumsy. To use it properly, he needed instruction.
In that regard, Teobaran could be called an excellent instructor. Having lived his whole life by the blade, it would be far better than learning at some paid dojo.
“Hmm.”
Ian, having finished his thought, turned to Teobaran and opened his mouth.
“Fine, let’s do it this way. From now on, when handling cartel requests, you come whenever and wherever I call and help me without pay.”
“Understood. I shall assist you while I remain in Korea.”
“And one more thing. Teach me close-quarters combat about twice a week.”
“……Hmm, this is unexpected. A magician learning close-quarters combat…….”
“Gunnar fought with an axe too. Who says I can’t? The more options I have, the better.”
“That is true, but…….”
Teobaran mumbled with a disgruntled expression, then soon nodded.
“Well, understood. It is not a difficult request. Where shall the lessons be held? Your home?”
“No, somewhere else. I’ll find a suitable place, so just wait for my call. You have a phone, right?”
“Of course.”
“Good.”
Ian smirked and approached Teobaran’s side. He pressed the gun muzzle against the man’s flank, then quickly drew a magic circle with his opposite hand.
The magic circle engraved on the back of Teobaran’s hand flashed with blue light. Ian stepped back and summoned his grimoire.
Rustle.
The Book of Contracts settled into his palm. Ian immediately recited the spell without hesitation.
“By your sworn oath, obey my command. You cannot harm me under any circumstances, and above all else, you shall prioritize my commands above all others. I newly declare under Him—I shall make you my servant.”
Kiiiiing!!
At the spell’s conclusion, the magic circle engraved on the back of Teobaran’s hand erupted with light. He furrowed his brow at the sharp pain.
Before long, the magic circle faded. In its place, something like an eye-shaped tattoo bloomed.
“This is…….”
“Think of it as a slave contract lasting half a year. It has the drawback of requiring the other party’s consent, but you have already accepted my proposal, so there were no issues with the casting.”
Ian smiled and waved his hand. With a soft sound, the chain binding Teobaran’s neck loosened and vanished. The lock floating in the sky also came undone. Ian watched Teobaran’s physical capabilities plummet like foam and Gunnar’s rune magic scatter, wearing a smirk.
“I’m counting on you from now on, Teobaran. Let’s get along for the next six months.”
“……A chill runs down my spine.”
Teobaran muttered, rotating his battered wrist. Ian turned away from him and looked up at the rune magic that had lost its master.
An extract of magic that had lost its owner. Recovery would have been ideal, but unfortunately such a thing was impossible. He could only watch it fade into nothing.
‘Ah, a man who lived like foam and departed…….”
Ian tossed his spent cigarette nearby and let out a snicker.
It was then.
“Ah, aah! Seogo! Where are you going!”
Ian’s gaze instantly turned toward her.
“Ugk……!”
She was hugging the grimoire that kept trying to fly away, her entire body trembling furiously.
“Don’t gooo……! What do you think you’re doing……!”
[Woooooong!!!!!]
“Higgggk……!”
Amelia hugged the squirming grimoire with all her might.
But taking advantage of a gap that occurred in that instant, the grimoire broke free from her embrace. In the moment Amelia gasped, the grimoire that flew up into the sky gulped down the foam containing rune magic.
“Uwaak!”
“……Heh.”
Amelia panicked, and Ian let out a hollow laugh.
Regardless, the Library of Knowledge flipped through its pages with a rustle and quickly carved letters onto a blank page.
[Rune Magic]
[Magic activated through runic characters. It has the drawback of requiring knowledge of all meanings and forms of runes, as well as their utilization as a language, but its effects are quite good as it allows for instantaneous activation.]
[Originally another’s magic, but this grimoire has acquired it by absorbing magic that had lost its way.]
“……Huh?”
Having checked the contents, Amelia’s eyes went wide.