Chapter 45
Stumbling steps, clothes torn and filthy. The sight of him, in such a rough and unkempt state, caused the eyebrows of the knights to droop. Even during the long winter expeditions, the young master had never been so disheveled. What on earth could have happened?
‘…It’s a Sharyeong!’
Chills ran down Kalicia’s spine, and the sensation quickly turned into full-blown goosebumps. She whipped her head around. A thick, black smoke-like aura of concentrated energy was rising around Ian.
“Stand back!”
Kalicia shouted at the northern knights. A Sharyeong—a concentrated mass of negative energy responding only to killing intent and desire, with no consciousness of its own. They were dangerous in a way different from ghosts.
“Master… ku, ugh!”
A northern knight suddenly grabbed by Ian’s neck flailed helplessly in the air. His face flushed red, looking as if he might suffocate at any moment.
“Master! Pull yourself together!”
“It’s Hans! Master!”
Veteran knights who knew of Ian’s frenzy rushed to restrain him. But these were northern knights who could never manage Ian even normally. With the power of the Sharyeong now added, it was hopeless.
Whoosh—
Bang!
One by one, the knights in Ian’s grasp were slammed to the ground. The sounds of breaking bones and agonized groans filled the battlefield. Panic spread across the northern knights’ eyes. They had let their guard down, thinking Ian’s frenzies had become less frequent recently.
“You there!”
At that moment, Kalicia, rushing forward in alarm, pointed sharply at the youngest knight.
“Go to the kitchen and bring salt! A large bowl if you can!”
“Salt?”
The youngest knight flinched, looking bewildered.
“Hurry!”
Kalicia shouted again, her voice imbued with the power of a Celestial General, adding an intimidating authority to her otherwise delicate voice.
“Yes, sir!”
The youngest knight, now fully alert under the thunderous command, ran desperately toward the kitchen.
“…Ian!”
Kalicia, hair flying, lunged forward and grabbed Ian’s face. As her spiritually charged hands touched his skin, the black aura surrounding him dispersed. But it only lasted for a moment. Seeing the fallen knights, Ian’s murderous intent flared even higher than before.
“Look at me. Look at me!”
Kalicia pressed both of his cheeks firmly, releasing a surge of spiritual power. She wanted to divert his attention to herself.
“…Kalicia.”
Following her desperate touch, Ian slowly turned his head. He glanced down at the small hands that dared to hold him.
“…Delicious.”
Swallowing hard, Ian’s throat moved up and down slowly. From Kalicia’s flushed palms, an unbelievably sweet scent wafted. With the area around his eyes reddened, he licked his lips. Overwhelmed by intense hunger, Ian extended his tongue and licked her soft flesh.
“You crazy! Don’t stick your tongue in! Damn it!”
Kalicia recoiled, swearing, as Ian’s slippery tongue tickled her palm.
“Then let go—”
Ian, grinning broadly, dragged out the end of his words like a child throwing a tantrum.
“Damn it! Pull yourself together! Salt! Where’s the salt!”
Kalicia stomped her feet, squashing Ian’s cheeks. As mentioned, a Sharyeong wasn’t a soul but rather a condensed energy; unlike normal ghosts, it couldn’t be pacified or banished.
“Ah, here! Ah, here it is!”
At that moment, the youngest knight came running from afar, panting. The bowl he carried was piled high with salt.
“Sprinkle it!”
“Huh?”
The knight, looking dazed, alternated his gaze between the salt and Kalicia.
“Sprinkle it!”
“Sprinkle…?”
“Sprinkle it on Ian!”
Galvanized by her commanding shout, the knight snapped to attention and grabbed a handful of salt.
Crash! Crash!
The coarse salt struck Ian’s body, repeatedly dispersing and breaking up the black aura. Seizing the brief opportunity, Kalicia quickly released Ian’s face. She turned and drew the sword tied to the youngest knight’s waist.
Shing—
The sharpened blade surged forward, aiming straight for Kalicia’s hands. Cutting without hesitation, she swung the bloodstained sword.
“Milady!”
The blade gleamed coldly as it streaked toward Ian. The knights shouted at the sound of its swift path through the air.
Shhhhhh!
Head, shoulders, neck—the finely sharpened blade struck and slashed mercilessly around Ian.
Swish!
The Sharyeong bodies were torn into dozens of pieces, burning intensely on the bloodied blade of the new disciple. Soon after, the black masses melted and fell to the ground, vanishing completely.
“Hah… ah.”
Ian exhaled roughly. It seemed he was gradually regaining his senses. The black light that had inhabited his eyes began to fade.
“…Phew!”
Seeing Ian’s eyes now filled with golden light, Kalicia collapsed onto the ground, her legs giving out.
“So… did you sell the talisman?”
Catching her breath, Kalicia glared at Ian.
“What on earth did you do to come back looking like this?”
Seeing the talisman burned to black, she smacked Ian’s back repeatedly, chastising him. Even if it was a temporary measure due to a lack of materials, it wasn’t so weak as to be unable to stop a Sharyeong.
“As I said, it’s confidential. I can’t tell you.”
Ian claimed he had only gone to the north for monster hunting and refused to explain further.
“Confidential, my foot! You need context to make a plan, don’t you?”
Feeling like she was confronting a culprit exercising the right to remain silent, Kalicia pounded her chest in frustration. Things had seemed to go well, but she hadn’t anticipated this setback.
“No wonder you stayed in the west for so long.”
Kalicia put her hands on her hips. There had to be a reason when both the head of a family and their heir were absent simultaneously.
“I left it alone since you didn’t say anything, but this can’t go on. What happened? Tell me.”
Kalicia grabbed both of Ian’s cheeks, forcing him to meet her gaze. He kept avoiding her eyes.
“…My hand.”
After a long silence, Ian finally spoke, gently wrapping Kalicia’s hand with his.
“….”
This time, it was Kalicia who remained silent. Her worried eyes, the faintly trembling breath—everything was excessively careful.
“…You ask fast. That hurt! Happy now?”
Kalicia quickly pulled her hand away, embarrassed by the tingling at her neck, muttering under her breath.
“Sorry.”
“What are you? Ian? The Sharyeong’s not fully gone yet!”
Kalicia widened her eyes, examining Ian’s expression carefully.
“I’m fine. Balus. Now step back.”
Ian leaned his head back and gently pressed Kalicia’s forehead with his finger. She had been leaning in as if to headbutt him.
“Fine… So, what really happened?”
“….”
“You say you’re sorry, yet you’re ignoring me too much.”
Kalicia rolled her eyes at Ian, who again fell silent.
“I’m not avoiding answering; it really is confidential. I can’t say.”
“You said the northern tasks will continue while you’re here. So you’re bringing a Sharyeong every time? Hans and David looked like their bones were shattered earlier.”
“….”
Ian clenched his fists so tightly they could break and lowered his head, feeling guilt over having hurt his own subordinates with his own hands.
“Hey. My hand hurts too.”
Kalicia, holding out her still-bleeding hand, sighed. Principles are important, but flexibility is sometimes necessary.
“Are you going to cut my hand every time?”
Kalicia asked gently, like calming a child.
“…No need.”
Ian, after some hesitation, softly held her bandaged hand in his, indicating he would explain eventually.
