Chapter 23: Veil of Corruption - (2)
The western hallway of the grand assembly hall—
It was a scene of utter devastation.
“Groooke!”
“Eek! Spare me!”
A monster in front, a dead-end wall behind.
A nobleman with impressively curled mustaches stumbled backward trying to flee the creature and fell. The slime-like beast bent its body back dramatically, raising a fist to strike.
“Ahhh!”
The nobleman squeezed his eyes shut and curled into a ball.
That’s when Kora stepped in, swinging her sword horizontally in front of him.
Splurt.
A fine line split across the creature’s body before it crumbled with a sickening squelch.
Its liquified corpse seeped into the ground and vanished like spilled water.
“Phew…”
Kora lowered her sword and let out a breath.
Behind her, the nobleman trembled like a child, his whole body curled up.
A yellow stream between his legs made the sight more revolting than pitiful, but she kept her expression neutral.
“You’re safe now.”
“H-Hiiik?”
The nobleman peeked open one eye, saw Kora, and flinched again.
But then recognition dawned—he realized she was part of the royal guard. Relief flooded his face.
“...Hmm?”
That expression quickly shifted into something more complicated.
He’d realized she wasn’t a knight, but merely a foot soldier.
Sigh.
Kora turned around with a weary sigh.
Was this the third time already?
Every person she saved reacted the same. It was impossible to feel any satisfaction. She had saved their lives, yet they showed not a shred of gratitude.
Of course, she didn’t do it for thanks. She was simply doing her duty as a guard.
Still… it stung.
“Everyone else has already evacuated to the central hall. Please go now.”
“R-Right. Y-Yes…”
The nobleman clumsily got to his feet and scurried off, clutching his urine-soaked pants.
Kora licked her dry lips as she watched him go.
“I should’ve just taken my seniors’ advice and become a farmer.”
After the Founding Day Massacre, most gave up their swords without hesitation.
Honestly, anyone would’ve run after witnessing that.
But Kora stayed. She had nowhere else to go, no money to her name, and too many mouths to feed. As a useless extra in society, she hadn’t had a choice.
Looking back, though, it was starting to feel like a big mistake.
She never imagined things would go south again.
And of course—it was another Evil Church attack.
They said she just had to patrol the conference hall, so she thought this assignment would be easy.
But her hopes were dashed when a veil suddenly blanketed the hall, and liquid-like monsters began sprouting from the walls and floor.
Fortunately, mundane weapons without mana seemed to work, so even a mere soldier like Kora could handle them.
“I should really thank that knight…”
To her own surprise, she felt grateful toward the knight who had beaten her to a pulp during training.
If not for that experience, she’d probably be dead by now.
And honestly? She wasn’t even that scared.
Compared to that knight, these monsters were dozens of times slower.
Kora raised her sword again. Break time was over.
Another creature was crawling up in the distance—and it was eyeing a nobleman who had frozen in terror just ahead.
“Hyaah!”
Kora sprinted toward it and drove her sword into its back.
With a gross squelch, the blade sank in deep. She twisted the hilt, hoping to spill its guts—
But something blocked her. It felt like hitting solid stone.
“Huh?”
It was tougher than expected.
The sword wouldn’t budge, like it was caught on something.
Now that she looked closely, this monster was bigger and more grotesque than the others she’d fought.
“Grruk? Grrr?”
The creature growled as it turned its massive head to see the lowly human who had stabbed it.
“Aha… Haha…”
Whoosh.
A nervous laugh escaped her lips, and she dodged its swinging fist by diving to the floor.
She had no choice but to let go of her sword.
“Ghhhkk…”
A blast of wind slammed into her head like a whip.
She heard the sound of her helmet crumpling.
The sheer force was dizzying.
The wall struck by the monster’s fist crumbled like a pickaxe smashing into ore.
Still crouched low, Kora whimpered.
“I really should’ve become a farmer…!”
But the monster had no sympathy.
It raised its massive fist to crush her unguarded back.
Ah… This is it.
Kora instinctively knew death was coming.
But then—
A silver flash sliced through the air, right above her head.
Shhhk.
Slide…
And that was the end of it.
The monster froze mid-motion, never realizing the change that had taken place—then collapsed backward.
Thud.
It didn’t move again.
It was dead.
“…Hic.”
Seeing it, Kora felt tears spring to her eyes.
Still hunched over awkwardly with her hands over her head, she offered a silent prayer of thanks to the gods.
‘I’m alive.’
“Hey, hey, you alright?”
A familiar voice called out from behind.
Kora barely lifted her head.
A knight with ashen-gray hair was smiling sheepishly down at her.
It was Freud—the infamous bastard, the delinquent knight. But right now, she had never been more glad to see him.
“You’re Kora, right? You’re not hurt?”
“F-For now, no…”
She took Freud’s outstretched hand and got up, swaying unsteadily for a while.
“You’ve been fighting alone here?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Impressive.”
A sly compliment. Kora didn’t feel flattered in the slightest.
“What about Millia?”
With still-trembling fingers, Kora pointed down the hallway.
Freud looked that way and nodded.
“Thanks. You should evacuate too. I’ve rescued everyone on this side.”
“Uh, um… what about you, sir?”
“I’ve got to help Millia, of course.”
As Freud shrugged, Kora pouted.
Of course. Must be nice being strong.
“W-Wait!”
Suddenly, the nobleman who’d been cowering on the ground during Kora’s whole struggle raised his head and shouted.
He’d been silent like a mouse before, but now that the danger had passed, he wore a smug smile that was almost enraging.
“S-Sir Knight! Wouldn’t it be wiser to stay by our council members and protect them?”
“…Huh?”
“Y-You’re a knight! A Royal Guard Knight should be protecting the Elder Council! You’re not seriously going to leave me with that foot soldier, are you? You saw how she struggled against that monster!”
Looking closer, he was the Chairman of the Elvendel Assembly.
From what Kora had heard, he’d been one of the loudest voices pushing to abolish the Airen monarchy.
And now he wanted help from the Imperial Royal Guard?
She bit her tongue to hold back the urge to say something sarcastic.
Instead, the knight beside her didn’t bother restraining himself.
“What the hell are you babbling about, you piece of trash?”
Smack!
The chairman’s face snapped sideways.
Freud had slapped him across the face.
“Eek?!”
Kora gasped in shock, but Freud didn’t stop.
Without hesitation, he stomped the man’s head with his armored boot.
Kora had only imagined crushing that pompous nose into the dirt—watching Freud actually do it left her stunned.
Sure, he was a Guardian Knight, but still—he was stomping on the chairman of one of the empire’s six great cities.
Didn’t he fear the consequences?
“Don’t you have any self-awareness? Who the hell taught you how to talk?”
Squelch squelch.
The chairman’s face was mashed into the carpet. He couldn’t even answer.
“When someone shows you kindness, just shut up and take it.”
Typical Freud.
Finally, he stepped off.
The chairman didn’t even squeak. He just sat there dumbfounded, clutching his swollen cheek.
A stream of blood ran from his nose.
“What, you got a problem?”
“H-Hiiieeek!”
When Freud raised his hand again, the man scrambled off like a terrified child, shrieking and bolting down the hallway.
Kora watched his pathetic retreat with a dry laugh.
“Ha… We’re so screwed.”
Yep, a salary cut was definitely coming.
The knight chuckled and said to Kora:
“This is why I hate people in power.”
Says the guy who is technically in power.
Though Kora didn’t say that out loud.
Freud sheathed his sword and let out a long breath, loosening his stance.
“You probably already know, but things are looking really bad.”
“Yes, sir.”
“So all the more reason—don’t die. If you’re ever in a situation like this, just run. Your life’s worth more than saving some pompous noble.”
He picked up Kora’s fallen sword and handed it back.
The monster’s slime clung stickily to her hands as she took it with both.
It was gross, but she didn’t show it.
Instead, she bowed politely.
“Thank you.”
“Nah, no need to thank me. If anything, I should be the one thanking you.”
He gave her shoulder a light pat.
“Anyway, keep it up.”
With that, Freud raised his fist and lightly tapped her chest.
“…Hm?”
Then, he frowned.
“…Ah.”
Kora felt a cold sweat drip down her spine.
Freud glanced from her chest to his hand… then back to her.
“Don’t tell me you’re…”
“THANK YOU! I’LL BE GOING NOW!”
Kora took off in a flash before he could say another word, clutching her sticky sword close to her chest.
---The End Of The Chapter---
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