The Second Son of The Marquis Runs Away from Home ~ Lacking Talent, He Abandons Everything and Becomes an Adventurer ~ - 59

Chapter 59: Superficial

“Aria! Come back now!”

Serena shouted as she was being pulled, trying to stop her. However, the difference in strength between Aria, who had been trained as a swordsman, and Serena was clear.

“No matter what, taking on the entire Orthodox Knights on your own is reckless! And the Knight Commander has a sacred relic…”

“It’s fine.”

Aria responded with her usual composure to Serena’s anxiety.

“I told you, it’s not a problem if Bell says so, right?”

“Huh?”

“If Bell says it’s okay, then it doesn’t matter who our opponent is. So, we need to do what we can.”

—

The Knight Commander calmly advanced, coming to a stop about ten paces away. He raised his Holy Sword towards me.

“I am Ganard Excess, the Commander of the Orthodox Knights. I shall ask for your name.”

“…I am Bell, the Black Storm Knight.”

I introduced myself after raising the black sword toward Ganard. We faced each other, ready to move at any moment.

“By the way, does the name ‘Grant’ mean anything to you, in combination with this sword?”

At my question, Ganard’s eyebrows twitched slightly, but he didn’t show any other sign of a reaction.

“Who you are matters not. I exist only to eliminate the enemies of the Lord.”

“I see.”

With those words as a signal, I stepped in and struck. Ganard quickly defended with his shield and swung his Holy Sword down.

I deployed a small sword in my left hand to parry the Holy Sword, and immediately after, he executed a shield bash.

I jumped backward to evade it and simultaneously threw my hand-axe. Although it was deflected by his shield, I quickly changed to the halberd and swung it with all my might.

Ganard easily caught the blow with his shield, and his Holy Sword began to radiate brightly.

“Endurance leads to light.”

The Holy Sword, enveloped in light, was swung. I twisted my body, and the blade of light passed just beside me.

“So, that’s the Holy Armor Xenostand.”

“That’s right. A pair of sacred arms that can block any attack and cleave through everything. No matter how many weapons you wield, nothing will reach me.”

We stood at a distance again, glaring at each other, and the other knights stood frozen, unable to intervene or pursue Aria and the others.

He was certainly powerful. That shield could block any attack regardless of its force, and the light blade of the Holy Sword would probably pierce even Chaos Crusader.

But I was not afraid.

“Just one thing, do you know the state of the Holy Land and what it’s being called?”

“…Yes, I do.”

“So why do you let it continue like this?”

“…It’s because that’s how I live.”

Ganard responded with his stance still prepared, devoid of any emotion in his eyes.

“I exist solely to protect this sacred relic. There’s no value in me beyond that, and no other way of life is necessary. The outcome, even if it leads to destruction, is all God’s will. I only follow it.”

With those words, I started to understand Ganard a bit more. He was missing something. Some of the emotions and feelings that people inherently possess were absent in him.

Whether they were absent naturally or taken away, I didn’t know. But even if that was the case…

“It’s shallow.”

“…What?”

“In the end, you’re just doing what you’re told without thinking, right? Even a golem could do that. It’s shallow.”

I circulated magic throughout my body and further strengthened my physical form. I allocated the additional energized magic to maintain “Wind’s Protection Followwind” and gripped my axe-spear, “Halberd.”

“I’ll show you. Even if it goes unrewarded, I’ll show you the power left behind by those who lived with all their might and their own will.”

With the halberd in hand, I dashed like a hurricane.