The Knight Who Devours Magic

Chapter 25: That’s a Bit…

“No! He's mine!!”

Chwa-rr-rr-ruk.

He shot the chains, filled with the anger of having been unilaterally beaten up.

Kwad-duk.

But what hung at the end was only the weak body of the magician, already an empty shell that had lost its life and magical power.

“Krrrr……”

Muno, or rather, the Demon Devourer, who had confirmed the futile result, was about to let out a roar towards Karina who had snatched his prey.

- Stop.

He was forcibly silenced by the control of his main body.

“Krrrr.”

Muno, who had been making beastly sounds for a moment, revealed the whites of his eyes again.

Soon, his bulging muscles returned to their original state with a cracking sound.

“Ugh.”

Muno, who smiled bitterly at the pain all over his body, bowed politely to Karina.

“Thank you for your help, Sir Karina.”

- Tear her to shreds!

‘Be quiet.’

And while forcibly suppressing the scream in his head that wanted to shatter even the magician's corpse, he once again reviewed the situation when he had allowed the Demon Devourer's 'invasion'.

‘My strength and speed get much stronger, but I forget my techniques…….

There are more downsides. Tsk.’

Wasn't there some other way to utilize it?

As he was contemplating, Karina's voice broke his train of thought.

“……Excessive fighting spirit can be poisonous, Young Master.

You were in danger just now. Even with an artifact.”

Although she didn't know about his ability, she had accurately pointed out the core issue.

“I know.”

Muno nodded and looked down at his own body, which was revealed as his light leather armor was all torn apart.

A body where muscles had swelled and black veins were revealed.

His whole body felt like it was creaking from the strain of forcibly swallowing magic.

‘As expected…….’

He had experienced firsthand that no matter how great a trait the Demon Devourer was, it couldn't completely swallow the magic of a magician who was more than three stages different.

He also realized that even if he swallowed the magical power that had already been 'consumed' by magic, it would only replenish his own magical power for the moment, and he couldn't expect a fundamental increase in skill.

‘It seems I need to absorb the root magical power that the magician wields while they are alive…….

What’s the difference with monsters……?’

There were many regrets, but for now, he felt he had to be satisfied with having learned one more piece of information about his ability.

Muno, who had organized his thoughts, focused his mind for a moment.

‘This is how…….’

Pshushuk.

And while he couldn't do anything about the calories consumed by using 'Acceleration', he began to replenish the consumed magical power with the magical power he had just absorbed and let go of all the excess.

Unlike when he had swallowed Amos's magical power, he had an intuition that this useless magical power, which was still wriggling, would not be good for his body if he didn't deal with it right away.

Had he grown even a little through this fierce battle?

The feeling that this energy was conflicting with the already absorbed magical power was now clearly felt.

Of course.

“Umm……”

It wasn't easy to control and release just the unnecessary amount, but once he got the hang of it, it wasn't difficult to grasp the knack.

‘But it would be difficult during combat.’

The fact that there was still an infinite amount to learn about his own ability felt new and enjoyable.

Because he was so focused, he only then noticed the blue eyes that had come right up to his nose.

Flinch.

“Wh-what is it?”

As he stepped back in surprise, Karina also belatedly blushed slightly and took a step back.

“Young Master, no matter how I look at it, the artifact you're using is……”

As she was about to say something more out of concern.

Kwa-kwang!

“Hwaaap!”

Chwa-a-a-a-a-ak.

Thump.

With a loud cry, the sound of something falling was heard.

Where the two of them glanced.

“Good grief. Did neither of you have any intention of helping me?

It's not right to be flirting on the battlefield while your comrade is struggling, is it?”

A very tired-looking Gunter was looking this way with a sly expression, with the bisected corpse of the Magic Knight behind him.

“That’s not it……!”

“……I was sure Sir Gunter would win……”

At that, Muno and Karina spoke the same words at the same time as if they had planned it, and then their eyes met and their words trailed off.

As awkward smiles formed on their faces.

“……You two are perfectly in sync. You’ll live happily ever after.

Enjoy yourselves a bit more. I’ll be working.”

Gunter started to gather the corpses of the Magic Knight and the magician with a spinning smile.

The man and woman, who had been staring blankly into the air with flushed faces, were startled by his words and started to help clean up the battlefield.

And so, their Hunt came to an end.

* * *

Munch munch.

“A 4-class mage……”

Gulp.

“……is what you presume?”

“Yes, there was also a Magic Soldier who appeared to be 3-Star.”

“Magic Soldier……?”

Wad-deuk. Wad-deuk.

Gulp gulp.

“My Lord, please eat slowly.”

“……Ah! A Magic Knight?”

“You can't even call them knights.

Aren't they just slaves?

The term Magic Soldier is sufficient.”

“Hmm. Well, that's true.”

The lord, who was chewing on meat while being served by Palmer, agreed with Gunter's report.

However, his appearance was not ordinary.

“Young Master. Th-that is……”

“Yes. That is my father, the master of Drasen.”

“What do you mean, ‘that’? I can hear you, son. Sir Karina.”

“I-I'm sorry! My Lord, really……”

“It's fine.”

The appearance of the magnanimous father, who smiled and soothed the flustered Karina, was completely different from just a few days ago.

Whatever he had done, he had become a morbidly obese middle-aged man who had swollen up to almost three times his size in the meantime.

“This part here is particularly fatty.”

“Ah. This is really a pain, can't you give me a more delicious part?”

“Meat is originally eaten for the taste of the fat.”

“Hmph……”

Karina couldn't close her gaping mouth at the sight of Palmer handing over fatty meat and the lord accepting it and chewing and swallowing it voraciously, even as they were conversing.

But Gunter, who was used to the sight, continued his report nonchalantly.

“Anyway, he was a quite skilled 3-Star Magic Soldier, so that magician is definitely 4-Circle.”

At Gunter's words, the wrinkles on Ryan's brow deepened.

“4-Circle……”

Magic Soldier, no, Magic Knight .

It refers to Corporeal Arts users who have broken their limits by making a contract with a demon through the mediation of a high-ranking magician of 4-Circle or higher.

The individuals themselves justify it by saying it's the blessing of an Outer God, but in reality, in exchange for surpassing their limits once, they are not only permanently fixed at that level but also bound for life by a contract with the magician who mediated the deal.

As Sir Gunter said, it wouldn't be strange to call them slaves of demons or magicians.

And since it was best for a magician to mediate a contract with a Magic Soldier one step below their own level and have only one.

“Besides, the magic he poured on Young Master Muno was almost all at the 3-Circle level. It's safe to say it's certain……”

Munch munch.

“Right, I understand. He must be a 4-class mage.”

Chew chew.

Ryan came to a cool-headed conclusion based on Gunter's report, but his appearance of holding a bone with both hands and tearing at the meat was no different from a barbarian, no, a barbarian pig.

From Karina's perspective, it was still a surprising sight.

She couldn't help but let out a gasp as if she had just realized something.

“So this is what the Knight of Gluttony meant.”

“Yes.

This is our Drasen's secret weapon, no, decisive weapon.

The appearance is a bit lacking though……”

“I can hear you, son?”

Muno lightly deflected the bone that flew at him and continued with a smile.

“The Knight of Gluttony, who can slaughter even monsters of a higher rank by releasing all his energy in a single moment.

It is because we have a lord like this that the people of Drasen can spend the winter with peace of mind.”

“That kid, just because he's learned to talk a little, his personality has become sly.

When he was young, he used to worry about his father's hardships all the time. Damn it……”

Munch munch.

“It seems it's not entirely wrong to say that raising a child is a futile effort. Hehe.”

“Right. Now that he's found a prospective bride, he's making a mockery of his father……”

Chew chew.

“Hey! That’s not it!!!”

Muno, who had been playfully teasing and got a sharp rebuke, shuddered and glanced to the side.

His heart pounded as Karina, with her head bowed and her face flushed, looked somehow even prettier.

‘Ah, no. Don't be fooled by appearances. Get a grip, Han Munho!’

He summoned his past life's name in his mind, straightened his head, and forcibly turned his gaze away.

His eyes met with his father's, who was smiling meaningfully.

“……I-I just wanted to let Sir Karina know how much you're struggling, Father.

It's more awkward to explain this situation seriously!”

“What struggle. It's just hard because I'm eating too well.”

Munch munch.

Ryan, who chuckled and started chewing on the meat again.

Gunter, who had been watching the father and son for a moment with a sigh, spoke again.

“Anyway, I don't think we can hide the fact that a high-ranking magician with a Magic Soldier has come all the way to Drasen.”

Munch munch.

“It took about three days, right?

For the magician who infiltrated Drasen to be taken down.”

“That's right.”

Chew chew.

“Then it's certain that the roots of those bastards are at least within our kingdom.”

“Shouldn't we report to His Excellency the Count?”

“Yes……. Hmm. That's enough for today, Palmer.”

“Yes. Understood.”

Burp.

Ryan, who announced the end of today's energy storage with a loud burp, let out a small sigh in succession.

“We must. The situation is more serious than I thought.

A group that can deploy a high-ranking magician without delay within three days is operating secretly within the kingdom.

In the worst-case scenario, they could be within our Trian.”

His appearance of propping up his chin with a relatively small hand on his face, which had grown twice as large as a few days ago, was quite comical, but no one could laugh at him now.

However.

“But my Lord, couldn't it be the work of the Empire?”

Palmer's casual remark froze everyone.

If the mage Empire, the sworn enemy of the Iron Kingdom and the current hegemon of the continent, was directly involved, it would be a problem of a different dimension.

But Ryan shook his head with a firm expression.

“That…… won't be the case.”

The Demon Cult was an evil cult group that had caused big problems in the Empire as well.

The conclusion reached during the subjugation 10 years ago was that the bastards who had fled from the Empire had hidden in the Iron Kingdom.

But Palmer, who had not heard about Amos's identity and that matter, couldn't help but tilt his head.

“Pardon? How can you be so certain?”

“There is a matter I reported separately to His Excellency, so we don't need to think about such a worst-case scenario.”

“That is, something I shouldn't know……. I see.

Understood, my Lord.”

“……I'm sorry, Palmer.”

“Not at all. An undeserved secret is not good for this old man's heart.

Still, it's a relief that it's not the worst-case scenario.”

Ryan, who smiled bitterly at Palmer's jest, sighed and summed up the situation.

“Then I will report this situation to His Excellency and await his instructions.”

“Yes.”

“Inform the nobles of the situation, and don't stop those who still want to continue the Hunt. It's a necessary task for us.

The prize money will be given after it's over as promised……”

“Yes, understood.”

“Ah, and compensate the families of the soldiers who were sacrificed by the magician as much as possible……”

And so the story concluded.

As Muno was leaving his father's office with Karina.

“Young Master, just a moment……”

At the words Karina hesitantly offered, Muno's heart began to pound again.

But.

“If the situation gets this difficult, it could become troublesome.”

“……Pardon?”

“I'm talking about my lady's matter.”

“Ah……”

At the ensuing whisper, his heart couldn't help but pound for a different reason this time.

“Surely there won't be a major problem, will there?”

He had answered so, but Muno himself knew well that it was unlikely.

And the very next day.

That ominous premonition became reality.

“Muno, a summons has come from the Trian County.”

“Pardon!? For me?”

“Given the timing, it wouldn't be right for me or Sir Gunter to move, would it?

Besides, the fact that you were the one who clashed with the magician in succession is drawing attention again.”

“That’s……”

“Don't worry. His Excellency also knows of your origin.”

“Ah……”

At his father's last whispered words, Muno couldn't help but nod, although he was flustered.

However.

“Join Lady Roanna's escort procession and go to Trian.”

The ensuing instruction was quite troublesome.