“Those bastards!”

“Idiot. It’s your fault for picking a fight without even knowing that he was a real knight.”

“What did you say, you little bastard?”

The atmosphere was quite tense between the earlier escapees and the new arrivals. They ran their horses until the creatures literally collapsed. They had only worked together for about half a year at the longest, and all three of their leaders, the Bernard brothers, were dead.

“Everyone, be quiet! We need to remain calm at times like these.” Gabe, the strongest of the remaining ten or so men, shouted. All the others promptly shut up. It was an unspoken fact among criminals that the word of the strongest was the law.

“Gabe, let’s hide here for a few days and go back to Paranan.”

“Are you insane? What are you going to do if that black-armored knight is still there?”

“No. I heard it when I was captured. Their group is heading to the ruin in the Beogalan Barony.”

“That’s right. Those knights are not from around here anyway. I heard they are from Maren. Fuck, we’re so unlucky.”

Two of the men explained. Although it was for a short period of time, Eugene had captured them as slaves. Gabe stroked his pointy goatee before speaking. “Come to think of it, I heard rumors that they failed to subdue the Philia Ruins twice in a row, that they were going to attempt it a third time. The knight must have been passing by on his way to the ruin.”

“That’s what I’m telling you. So let’s lay low here for a couple of days, or in Mintan.”

“Mintan? The Viper Snake Mercenaries already took over that place. Are you suggesting we join them?”

“Kuku! More than half of the Viper Snake Mercenaries had been smashed into meat pastes by that knight. Seven of the guys who got caught earlier than us were former members of the Viper Snake Mercenaries.”

“Their captain, Morgan, and the other strongest members of their mercenary group had been killed by that knight named Eugene.”

“Huh! Motherfucker. He really is a crazy knight.”

The Viper Snake Mercenaries were quite notorious in the area, and they were the rulers of Mintan. Moreover, they were hostile with the Bernard Brothers. Both groups were after the other’s village, but neither had been eager to make the first move since both groups were similar in size. 

However, the knights from Maren had destroyed both the Bernard Brothers and the Viper Snake Mercenaries.

“So only small fries are left in Mintan, right?”

“That’s what I’m telling you. It should be worth a try, right? Let’s take over it and lay low for a few days. Once that red-eyed knight leaves for the Beogalan Barony, we can take Paranan as well. What do you say?”

“Let’s go.”

Gabe’s contemplation did not last long. This was an opportunity for him to become the lord of two villages. Once successful, he would then be the ruler of hundreds of people.

*** 

“…Is what they said!” Mirian reported back after utilizing her specialty for about fifteen minutes. 

“Good work.” Eugene nodded in the dark.

It wouldn’t be difficult to follow the trail of the two escapees. Those who had been beaten like dogs during the day were still injured, and it was all too easy for Eugene to follow the trail of human blood during the night, especially when there was no one else around.

“What are you going to do? Will you storm in and kill all of them?”

“No. I have a better idea.” Eugene spoke coldly while staring at the hideout of the remnant bandits.

“Kekeke! I love it when you make that face, Sir! So sneaky! So vicious! The devil king himself! Ah! Those bastards are coming out.”

Even though she was invisible anyways, Mirian folded her wings and crouched while landing on Eugene’s shoulder. In the distance, 11 men split themselves among the horses and began to ride.

Mintan was half a day’s distance away from their current location, but they would arrive within a couple of hours on horseback.

“Silion. Let’s follow as quietly as possible.”

Silion nodded as if it understood Eugene’s words, then slowly moved.

*** 

Upon arriving at the entrance to Mintan Village, the bandits covered their bodies with mud. It was to conceal themselves while eliminating unwanted, clinking noise from their armor.

“Let’s set a fire first. As soon as they come running with their weapons, shoot them down,” Gabe instructed.

“Don’t worry.” Several of his crossbow-wielding colleagues grinned in response. The bandits had been hiding in the bushes while observing the village’s wooden fence. After hearing Gabe’s orders, they began to quietly cross over the wooden fence.

They would not have dared to do something like this in the past, but there was nothing to fear since the strongest men of the Viper Snake Mercenaries were already dead. 

A few minutes later, flames suddenly soared from an old church in the middle of the village.

Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!

“Fire! There’s a fire!”

The urgent shouts of the village vigilante and the dull ringing of the bell disrupted the silence that reigned over the village. A few men rushed out from the buildings all over the village. Most of them had rushed out after hurriedly putting their clothes on, but some of them held swords and axes in their hands.

All of the armed men had snake tattoos on their necks and forearms. They were members of the Viper Snake Mercenaries.

“Fuck! What’s going on?”

“You stupid bastards! Don’t just watch and stare! Bring some water and put it out!”

“Idiots!”

The mercenaries swore at the villagers.

The villagers quickly scattered with fear and shock. The mercenaries made them a perfect target in the darkness by gathering themselves around the burning church.

Tututung!

“Keugh!”

“Agh!”

Three mercenaries screamed and collapsed at once as the bolt left the crossbows.

“An ambush!”

Although they were armed with weapons, the mercenaries weren’t adorned in their proper equipment. They quickly dropped down after witnessing their colleagues fall.

Gabe and his men took the chance and stormed out of the burning church.

“Kill them all!”

“Y-you mother… Arghh!”

The Viper Snake Mercenaries and the remnants of the Bernard Brothers slaughtered each other in front of the burning church. Although they were similar in numbers and skills, the Bernard Brothers were fully armed and had the element of surprise.

The Viper Snake Mercenaries were quickly snuffed out.

“L-let me live! I will cooperate! I’ll be your subordinate!”

“I don’t need it, you idiots! Kuhahaha!” Gabe rushed at the few remaining mercenaries with a malicious, crazed smile.

It was then…

Uahhh… Kuagh

Screams resounded one after another from a small distance away.

“What’s going on?” Gabe turned his bloody and muddy head toward the sound after slitting the throat of one of his enemies.

Boom!

“Huh!?”

Gabe’s eyes widened with shock.

Tutututututu!

A knight was rushing forward like a storm through the broken gate of the village. Both he and his horse were covered in pitch-black armor like the night.

“The red-eyed knight!”

“Run! Run away!”

“Fuck! Get into formation! It’s only one man!”

Two of Gabe’s men started to flee immediately with surprise. They were the ones previously captured by Eugene. However, Gabe gritted his teeth and attempted to stand his ground.

Eugene reared himself back atop his saddle, then bounced back while throwing a javelin.

Shuuuack! Thuck!

The projectile flew almost fifty meters in an instant and tore straight through Gabe’s chainmail and heart. In the end, Gabe was killed instantly, and his body was thrust back into the burning embers of the church.

“Uaaah!”

The remaining men started to flee like sheep, disregarding their own battles. Most of them were quite experienced, and they knew very well how terrifying a fully-armed knight was.

“Aahhhhhhh!”

They instinctively ran toward the dark. It was because they knew even the strongest of knights would struggle to locate them on such a cloudy night, especially if they purposefully ran into the dark.

However, what they didn’t know was the fact that the black knight was a completely different existence from regular humans. Eugene’s crimson eyes pierced through the darkness and accurately grasped the locations of the escaping men.

Tututututu!

“Ahhk!”

“Kuagh!”

The terrifying sound of hooves resounded all over the village and screams of terror followed one by one. Monster-like roars could be heard occasionally, and the residents of the village were struck with even greater fear. It was as if hell had descended on the small village of Mintan, striking terror and fear into the hearts of its 100-or-so residents.

“Uh….”

“M-mommy.”

“Shh!”

The residents trembled helplessly in their homes. There wasn’t anything for them to do except to pray and hold their loved ones close.

Arghhh!

The village was engulfed in silence following a piercing scream.

After a while, the village men started to raise their bodies one by one. They had been hiding in the village well and a nearby stream. As if on cue, all of them started to carefully walk toward the church.

The residents of the church had already left over a year ago. The only thing remaining of the building was gray ash and smoke. In front of it, a knight in black plate armor was holding his helmet in one arm while stroking his warhorse.

The knight’s intense, crimson eyes and seductive, mysterious white face were even more accentuated under the cold moonlight. The residents stared at him blankly, and the knight started speaking.

“I am Knight Jan Eugene. The trash that once occupied this place is no more.”

However, the residents remained mesmerized by Eugene’s appearance. They continued to stare blankly. It was impossible for them to imagine that a knight with such a noble and elegant appearance was responsible for the terrifying massacre just now.

“…..!?”

Eugene silently pondered his next words for a moment. Suddenly, his eyes glimmered with a light. At the same time, Eugene twisted his body and his hand stretched forward like lightning.

Fwoosh!

Eugene snatched a crossbolt from the air and threw it back without hesitation.

“Heuk!”

Then, Eugene disappeared into a different part of the village. The villagers were struck with disbelief as the knight ran off at incredible speeds, despite wearing heavy armor.

Papapapapat!

“Sir! Something feels strange!” Mirian shouted anxiously. Eugene remained silent, but he also felt the same way. He could feel a presence as intense as the intermediate-rank or high-rank monsters he faced in the dungeon and the labyrinth. He was currently headed towards the source of the energy.

‘That is…?’

Something blurry appeared in Eugene’s view through the complete darkness. It was a black shadow with a human form. The black shadow suddenly halted after jumping over the village’s wooden fence with ease. Then it slowly turned around.

Eugene unsheathed Wolfslaughter and observed the opponent. The figure’s head was lowered, and its face was covered by its scattered hair.

The figure suddenly raised its head.

“…..!”

Eugene was surprised to see the opponent’s glimmering eyes through their brown hair. It was a shade of red, just like his own.

“You have no manners, and you seem to be quite stupid. This is my hunting ground, you baseless roamer bastard.”

The face of the man was completely revealed as he swept back his long hair. His face was pale as if it was made of limestone. His lips were a similar shade of red to his eyes, and the protruding fangs clearly proved his race.

“ A vampire…?”

“Why are you acting so surprised? Aren’t you a vampire yourself? Well, it must be because you’re nothing but a baseless roamer. That’s why you walk around looking like a fool, hmm?”

The vampire grinned before stretching out his arm. His dark, crimson cape fluttered behind him.

“Kneel. Kneel before my glory, for the cold, blue blood of the Noferos flows in my veins. I, Delmondo… Huh!?” The vampire who self-identified as Delmondo shouted with shock.

Shuuack!

Wolfslaughter reflected the cold, sharp light of the moon as it flew towards him.

“Kiyaaahk!” Delmondo let loose a roar of anger and shock while jumping back a good distance. His agility went far beyond ordinary humans, but unfortunately, his opponent was a vampire as well.

Moreover, it was a vampire with the swordsmanship and experience of an outstanding knight called Galfredik.

Shhhhk!

“Kyaaaahk!”

A trail of piercing blue light was left behind Wolfslaughter. Delmondo was forced to his knees after receiving a few strikes.

Pssssh…!

A red vapor started to sizzle from his fresh wounds, and Delmondo struggled to open his quivering blue lips. “How could a-a roamer wield a weapon with silver… Hmm!?”

Delmondo was struck with fear as he suddenly paused.

“C-could it be…? A-an Origin…?”

Eugene’s tightly sealed lips finally opened. “So who are you calling baseless again?”