I Became the Dark Knight in the Game World - Chapter 29

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Order

◈ I Became the Dark Knight in the Game World ◈

Chapter 29: It Is Easy to Die Fighting, but Hard to Lend a Road (7)

──────

The mage felt as though he had been stripped bare beneath the Black Knight's gaze.

Without realizing it, he took a step back, overwhelmed by Kriel's presence. A helplessness beyond words washed over him.

Even if he resisted that knight now, he could see no future in which he escaped alive.

Even before accepting the Abyss's blessing, the mage had seen many powerful figures. He had bowed his head before them and avoided meeting them altogether by keeping his distance.

His life had been marked by humiliation and defeat. Even so, he had never felt such overwhelming despair before.

"...No."

It wasn't the first time.

There had been another moment when he had been certain he could never oppose the being before him.

Yet the one who had looked down on the mage then stood at the complete opposite end from a holy knight.

A Demonkin who had bestowed the Abyss's blessing upon him.

The mage recalled the words spoken by the sword clutched in the holy knight's hand.

Then he remembered the Black Knight's remark, how Kriel had seen through his rank with such ease.

There was only one possible meaning.

"Was he a Demonkin...?!"

And not an ordinary Demonkin, either.

He openly called himself a holy knight as he moved through the Sacred Kingdom, and he had even been appointed a Champion by some order.

It proved that he possessed the power to deceive priests completely. Even while walking around dressed so blatantly like a Dark Knight!

Perhaps he had surpassed the level of a Demonkin and was reaching for the realm of Demons. If so, it made sense for the Demon Sword in the Black Knight's hand to speak of a "rightful ruler."

If he had accumulated enough Demonic Nature from the Abyss to ascend into a new Demon, he would truly be the most powerful being among the Servants of the Abyss in this age.

The Black Knight let out a "Hmm" as he exhaled.

It sounded like a sigh for something pitiful and wretched.

Naturally, Kriel's sigh held no sympathy or compassion for the Demonic Beast mage.

He was only saddened that striking a pose had gotten him mistaken for a Demonkin, and regretted his choice of class.

When an intelligent being such as an ordinary human was consumed by the Abyss, its danger was considered half to a full tier greater than that of a mindless creature at the same rank.

A human turned into a Monster was comparable to a Monster turned into a Demonic Beast, while a human turned into a Demonic Beast was comparable to a Monster turned into a Demonkin.

Ordinary Monsters only developed higher intelligence after reaching the Demonkin stage, while intelligent beings possessed it from the beginning.

For Kriel, though, it was different. Just as he found Demonkin easier to deal with than Demonic Beasts, creatures of the Abyss with intelligence were easier to fool than mindless ones.

If the one behind the Wyverns had been their leader instead of a human mage, he would have been dancing with his sword already. Kriel decided to use the mage's misunderstanding of his identity as much as possible and settle things quickly.

Before speaking to the mage, Kriel recalled a principle of Tirnanog chivalry.

"It's fine to deceive the Abyss!"

"If you understood your own station, why aren't you showing the proper attitude? Truly disappointing."

Kriel recalled his days in the army. On Earth and in Tirnanog alike, wasn't it practically the job of people with rank to be disappointed in their subordinates?

His performance, backed by countless references, was remarkably effective. The mage staggered back and dropped to his knees.

"I failed to recognize one who walks the darkest Abyssal Domain. Mercy, please grant me mercy...!"

"Mercy? Have you realized your own wrongdoing?"

"I came trampling in with muddy feet, unaware that this was a place where a Demonkin was already carrying out a scheme. That is my first offense. My companions are unable to join me here, and that is my second offense."

Ah. So he had companions.

Kriel nodded. The mage took it as a sign that the Demonkin was granting him mercy.

"Please leave me a path to live. Even if I have ruined the great one's plan, I will offer this humble body and help your grand undertaking in whatever way I can."

"You have drawn too much attention."

"I have a plan prepared! A way to establish myself in the heart of the Gate City without anyone suspecting a thing!"

The mage tried to say more, but Kriel waved a hand. He hurriedly closed his mouth and bowed his head to the ground again.

"What are your people doing?"

"We planned to assassinate the Gate City's Advisory Mage. We were going to strike on the way home..."

That was everything he needed to hear.

Kriel gestured for the mage to rise. The mage only raised his upper body while remaining on his knees. He could not dare stand and face someone like this at eye level.

"Did you ask me to leave you a path to live?"

"Yes. I truly didn't know that someone favored by the Abyssal Domain was staying in this region. My companions may be insignificant, but their resolve is unwavering!"

"Is that so? Come closer."

The mage slowly crawled forward.

The Black Knight raised his ash-gray Cross Sword. The mage trembled slightly.

"Do you know what this sword is?"

"My knowledge is lacking..."

Kriel poured Fighting Energy into Tuon. A cold light wrapped around the ash-gray blade.

A chill flowed from the sword's edge. It felt like the desolate wind of the Underworld.

An ash-gray blade, a blue radiance.

The list of armaments that anyone who served the Abyss had to know came to mind.

"The Seven Demon Weapons!"

"Since you have confessed yourself a sinner and asked for judgment, I too shall face you in truth. I am the rightful master of this blade."

The rightful master of the legacy left by the Demon King.

In other words, he was a candidate to become the next Demon King.

Reverence filled the mage's heart.

The ash-gray blade, holding its cold light, lightly tapped the mage's left shoulder.

It resembled a knight's investiture ceremony.

The mage felt relief at having survived and joy at joining the great plan of the Abyss at the same time.

The blade would move to his right shoulder next, and then the Black Knight would recite the words of consecration. Naturally, he would grant a blessing, whether blood, vengeful spirits, or something else that could strengthen his Demonic Nature.

As Kriel moved the blade to his right shoulder, he spoke.

"I have something to ask you."

The mage searched through old memories and found words suitable for the occasion.

Demonkin were powerful but fickle. He had to please one as much as possible.

"P-Please ask your question."

"You asked me to open a path for you, so I will ask you about paths. Before your eyes are an easy path and a difficult path. Which will you choose?"

Was this a question testing his loyalty?

The mage answered as soon as the thought occurred to him.

"I will follow any difficult path!"

"Is that so? I prefer easy paths."

"What?"

Kriel swung Tuon.

* * *

His skin was tougher than I expected.

I had originally planned to cut off his head the moment he came close, but after taking a better look, I realized I couldn't sever his neck in one strike with physical force alone.

Maybe it was because he commanded Wyverns, but his skin had changed into something resembling Wyvern-kind. If a Swordmaster had been the one making the cut, they might have laughed and said, "I'll cut it with a kitchen knife," before putting on a demonstration. Unfortunately, my swordsmanship wasn't that good.

I had no choice but to pretend I was showing him one of the Seven Demon Weapons, waste time with pointless talk to daze him, and buy enough time to pour Fighting Energy into Tuon.

Thankfully, his head came off in one stroke.

If he had still been alive and regenerated before attacking me again, things could have become very troublesome. Fighting a mage inside the mage's base was not a wise move.

[Hey. What did that mean?]

"What did?"

[That thing about preferring easy paths.]

"It was nothing. An old sage once said that dying while resisting injustice is easier than accepting injustice and compromising with it."

[Oh. Those are truly words fit for a knight to the bone.]

In this case, it would have been more accurate to call it a scholar's spirit than a knight's spirit.

Orisin wouldn't understand even if I mentioned a scholar's spirit, so I didn't bother correcting the misunderstanding.

At some point, Tuon had slipped free from my hand, taken on a humanoid form, and returned carrying something.

"Take it."

"Huh?"

It was the mage's severed head.

"Don't you need proper proof if you're going to claim credit for the achievement?"

That wasn't wrong, so I nodded reluctantly.

Showing the head of a mage with hardened skin would be far more convincing than abruptly saying I had dealt with the one behind the Wyverns without any proof.

I should return quickly and report to the Border Guard commander. According to the mage's words, the Gate City's Advisory Mage might also be in danger.

* * *

As soon as I reached the Gate City, I received one piece of good news and one piece of bad news.

The good news was that the Advisory Mage had returned without suffering any harm.

They said they had rushed back to their family home after hearing that their runaway younger sibling had been found dead. On the way, some insignificant creatures of the Abyss attacked them, so they had guided them down the right path.

The right path, in this case, was the road to the afterlife.

After returning safely to their family home, they learned that no news about their sibling had reached them at all. Sensing that something was wrong, the Advisory Mage returned to the Gate City as quickly as possible.

The bad news was this.

"Ah, my sibling...!"

The creature of the Abyss I had turned into a corpse was the Advisory Mage's younger sibling.

They really had been found dead.

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried