Future Knight

Chapter 74

“Excuse me, then how many people have you been involved with, Zikyon?”

Erika seemed to be extremely shocked by Zikyon’s extensive knowledge of sexual relationships.

“Me? Hmm… if I count everyone I’ve enjoyed, about three thousand?”

“Pfft!”

Kang Chan, who had been quietly sipping his drink, was so surprised by Zikyon’s words that he spat out the liquor he was drinking.

Zikyon frowned and spoke.

“What’s with you? That’s disgusting.”

Kang Chan, who was usually unfazed, stuttered as he asked.

“W-what? Three thousand?”

“Yeah, is there a problem with that?”

“…”

Zikyon had lived for over eight thousand years. For someone like him, three thousand didn’t seem like a large number, but still, Kang Chan felt a sense of betrayal.

Whether it was a betrayal felt as a friend or as a man, only Kang Chan knew.

“Forget it, let’s not talk about this…”

“What a bland guy.”

“Wow! That’s really impressive, Zikyon.”

Whether it was flattery or genuine admiration, Zikyon felt a sense of satisfaction from Erika’s praise.

“Really? Then, shall I tell you some really stimulating stories now?”

The lewd tales he had told so far were just the beginning, and Kang Chan was left speechless.

“What is it?”

Zikyon began to recount his experiences once again.

Erika, no longer feeling embarrassed, began to listen intently to Zikyon’s increasingly explicit stories.

Kang Chan could only watch in dismay as Erika and Loki were led astray by Zikyon.

‘A corrupted dragon is ruining these kids…’

As Kang Chan sighed, hearing the bell ringing in the distance.

Ding! Ding!

It was the sound of the bell that signaled Shukreem calling for him.

Kang Chan stood up, his face hardened with displeasure.

“I’ll be back.”

Heading to Shukreem’s room was a relief compared to listening to Zikyon’s lewd stories.

When Kang Chan arrived at the door and knocked, a flushed Shukreem opened it, breathing heavily, and said to Kang Chan.

“Bring the remaining human woman.”

“Yes.”

As Kang Chan turned to head towards the carriage, Shukreem called him again.

“Wait!”

“Yes, Master.”

“Bring the young boy too.”

“…”

The young boy was clearly referring to Loki.

‘This beast…’

Kang Chan controlled his expression as much as he could and replied.

“Understood, Master.”

The Master was a true hedonist who didn’t discriminate between beautiful men and women.

Kang Chan wanted to twist his neck and rip out his tongue right then and there, but he restrained himself and delivered the two bundles to Shukreem’s room.

Of course, inside were Zikyon and Loki, transformed by his subordinates.

“Well done. You may go.”

“Yes, Master…”

As Kang Chan returned to his place with a grim expression, everyone’s attention turned to him.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Can’t we just kill that bastard now?”

“Why? What happened?”

“…”

“Tell me, what happened?”

“Not only you, but he also took the one transformed into Loki.”

“Pfft! Hahaha!”

Zikyon suddenly burst into laughter, drawing the attention of everyone in the dining hall to him in his giant form.

“Seriously?”

“Yes.”

“That guy is really a serious hedonist, huh?”

“Hey! I can’t take it anymore. Undo the magic now.”

“Wait a minute, it won’t be fun if we stop now. Hold on for just ten more minutes.”

“Ugh! Exactly ten minutes… I can’t hold it any longer!”

“Alright, after that, you can do whatever you want.”

Only ten minutes remained for the Shukreem Trading Company.

Unaware of this, they continued to drink and chatter merrily during that short time.

Watching them closely, Kang Chan noticed figures in black night patrol attire approaching the carriage where he had been taken.

No matter how stealthily they approached in the darkness, they couldn’t escape the notice of Sword Master Kang Chan.

Keeping a closer watch on the suspicious group, Kang Chan recognized a familiar woman among those with masked faces.

‘Hmm? That woman?’

It was the very woman who had warned him during the day.

Curious about her intentions, Kang Chan stood up.

“Hey, hold on. I’m going to the bathroom for a bit.”

“Not much time left. Hurry back.”

“Got it.”

Kang Chan left the inn and carefully trailed behind her.

If her target was the same as Shukreem Trading Company, her group would also face Kang Chan’s burning fury.

Mu Kalina, the only daughter of the Kalina Trading Company.

Originally, her dream was to become a knight.

However, when her father fell ill, she had no choice but to drop out of the Sword Academy, where she was an excellent student, and lead the company as a woman.

Of course, she was very saddened by this, but she soon accepted her fate calmly.

However, there was something she, a follower of chivalry, couldn’t let go of—her sense of justice.

But it only made her more tormented.

With the continent in turmoil due to war, she had to travel across it, witnessing numerous injustices.

Each time, she turned a blind eye, sinking into self-reproach more than once.

But this time, she couldn’t bear it.

Despite the loyal Galleon’s dissuasion, she set out with her subordinates to save them.

‘I’ll save you.’

She knew very well what she was doing.

If she was discovered while attempting the rescue, it could escalate into a full-scale war between the two trading companies.

But if she turned a blind eye again, she felt she would fall into deep self-reproach and regret for the rest of her life.

She didn’t want to compromise her beliefs at all.

There was fortunately only one guard in front of the carriage they approached cautiously.

After signaling her subordinates, she quietly subdued the guard and opened the carriage door.

Inside, about ten young boys and girls were tied with ropes.

‘These beastly bastards…’

Mu Kalina drew a dagger and cut the children’s ropes.

“Kids, run away quickly.”

“Th-thank you.”

“Thank you.”

“Everyone, come this way.”

Her subordinates led the limping children to safety, exiting the carriage.

And the last man remaining.

He was the confident man she had warned during the day.

Seeing no sign of his companions, it was clear they were being toyed with by someone in the inn room.

“Where did all that confidence go?”

“Mmph! Mmmph! Mmm!”

“Alright, hold on.”

Mu Kalina cut the ropes binding the man with her dagger.

The freed man then rushed at Mu Kalina.

“Ah! What are you doing?”

Mu Kalina, caught off guard, was overpowered by the man, who brought the dagger to her neck.

“Why! Why are you doing this?”

“Huff! Huff!”

Mu Kalina resisted with all her might. But the dagger slowly drew closer, causing her neck to bleed.

“Ah! P-please, get a grip.”

To think the one she came to save was now trying to kill her.

Mu Kalina couldn’t understand the man’s actions.

As the situation grew increasingly dire, an unexpected man appeared at the carriage door.

But her despair deepened.

The man standing before her was none other than Pedro, Shukreem’s right-hand man.

What happened next was astonishing.

A flash of light burst forth, and the neck of the man who was restraining Mu Kalina soared into the air.

Splat!

Blood spouted from the headless body like a fountain.

Thud!

“Ahhhhh!”

Mu Kalina, now drenched in the blood of the man who had been threatening her life from behind, screamed and thrust her dagger forward.

However, the dagger in her hand was trembling like an aspen leaf.

“D-don’t come any closer!”

“Calm down.”

“You’ve been hiding such skills all this time…”

The strike that flew before her eyes was so fast that it was invisible.

The man behind her certainly didn’t even know how he had died.

Mu Kalina was in shock at the realization that Pedro had been hiding such formidable skills.

But soon she witnessed something even more unbelievable.

“N-no!”

Pedro’s body, which had been standing in front of her, was bathed in bright light and reverted to its original form.

“Y-you’re!?”

In her shock, she took a step back, only to trip over the severed head of the man she had just beheaded and was startled again.

“Ah!”

The severed head belonged not to the man in front of her but to a mercenary from the Shukreem Trading Company.

“H-how is this possible…?”

“It’s a long story.”

At that moment, a scream that could tear the heavens apart echoed from the inn.

It was a scream close to a wail.

“Ahhhhh! What is this! Ahhhh! What’s happening!”

Kang Chan couldn’t help but chuckle.

It was obvious without even looking whose scream it was.

Shukreem, who had been vigorously moving his hips with a voluptuous woman with green hair, suddenly doubted his eyes.

In an instant, a dazzling light flashed, and the green-haired woman disappeared, replaced by a rugged, muscular man beneath him.

“Wha-! Why are you here!?”

“Well… you see… sob, my ass…”

The giant, who had lost something precious to another man, buried his face in a pillow and wept.

And it wasn’t just him.

Three naked men on the bed were crying and bleeding from their behinds.

Shukreem, feeling as if he had been struck by a hammer, screamed with all his might.

“Ahhhh! What is this! Ahhhh! What’s happening!”

Shukreem’s desperate scream echoed into the dining hall, causing Zikyon, Erika, and Loki to collapse with laughter.

“Hahaha!”

“Hahahahaha!”

“Hehehe!”

The people from the Shukreem Trading Company were startled first by Shukreem’s sudden scream and then by the sight of the slaves, who had been captured, now sitting in the dining hall, laughing.

“Wha-! How are they here?”

“Hahahaha!”

“Zikyon, this is so funny it hurts.”

“Isn’t it? Did I lie when I said it would be fun?”

“How did you escape!”

A mercenary from the Shukreem Trading Company, who had been yelling at Zikyon and Erika for laughing without a care in the world, raised his voice even more.

But feeling an overwhelming sense of intimidation, he couldn’t bring himself to approach them and just stood there, fumbling like a puppy needing to pee.

Zikyon looked at him with a pitying gaze and said,

“Farewell.”

As soon as Zikyon finished speaking, a fierce storm of blood erupted in the dining hall.

Kang Chan, who had been chuckling at Shukreem’s screams, changed his expression back to a grim one.

The awaited time had come.

He drew out his mithril daggers with both hands.

Mu Kalina, being a merchant, instantly recognized the value of the daggers Kang Chan held.

“Gasp! Elven-forged mithril blades with top-tier Dwarf craftsmanship?”

Only mithril refined by the Elves shone with such a chilling white light.

It was a highly valuable item on the continent, worth its weight in gold.

It boasted nearly twice the strength of regular mithril.

Even ordinary mithril was ten times harder than regular steel.

While staring in awe at Kang Chan’s mithril daggers, Mu Kalina witnessed something even more astounding.

Aura blades suddenly emanated from Kang Chan’s daggers.

“Gasp!”

It was the very thing that every knight dreamed of, a power unique to Sword Masters.

The very thing she had longed for and desired so much was now unfolding right before her eyes.