Chapter 55

As the basilisk approached, Leord froze, unable to move, clutching the letter his mother had given him tightly.

The blind basilisk, sensing Leord with its pit organs, opened its massive mouth to swallow him. Leord could only watch helplessly.

(Ah, I’m dead. I’m really dead.)

Though it was a rather anticlimactic thought, to Leord, the world had slowed down. In the moment of death, he felt as if the world had slowed down, much like in a car accident.

"Master—!"

"Lord Leord—!"

As the large mouth of the basilisk loomed before him, Leord realized he could hear Gilbert and Barbaro’s voices from a distance. Knowing he couldn’t say goodbye, Leord had completely given up and accepted his fate.

(Haha... I tried so hard, but in the end, I’m going to be eaten by a basilisk. I don’t want to die... I really don’t want to die...)

Though his words were casual, Leord quietly closed his eyes, preparing to meet his end.

But in the next instant, an unfamiliar voice reached Leord’s ears.

"I didn’t expect to find a basilisk here."

Reacting to the voice that came from above, Leord looked up and saw a figure. The face was obscured by the sun, but the reflection of the armor and sword revealed it was a knight.

With a single swing of his sword, the knight sliced the basilisk approaching Leord in half. The two halves of the basilisk, which had been charging at Leord with great force, stopped as if to avoid him.

Leord, who had been in the center, was drenched in the basilisk’s blood. He spat out the blood that had entered his mouth and used water magic to wash the blood off his body.

(Spit, spit, spit! So dirty!

But, I’m alive!

Thank you!

I don’t know who you are, but thank you!)

As if in response to Leord’s thoughts, the mysterious knight landed on the ground. Leord, whose vision was blurred by the water, rubbed his eyes to see the knight’s face.

"What!?"

"Hm? Is something wrong?"

"Algabein Kingdom’s Knight Captain, Benaud Ogasus...!

Why are you here!?"

Leord’s shock was understandable.

Benaud Ogasus, as Leord had explained, was the captain of the Algabein Kingdom’s knight corps, essentially the top of the knight corps.

It was unheard of for the captain to come to the front lines himself. Normally, the captain would command from the rear.

Thus, Leord’s reaction was quite natural.

"Of course, with a monster panic, it’s only natural for me to come out."

"But, surely the captain doesn’t need to come personally, right?"

"Don’t worry about the details. Besides, I prefer to wreak havoc on the front lines rather than command from the rear."

"Ah, I see. Then, who is commanding now?"

"It’s obvious. Cecil."

"Oh, the deputy captain..."

"Anyway... who are you?"

"...I’m Leord. Leord Harvest."

"What? You! That Leord Harvest?

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

You’ve really rounded out!

I didn’t recognize you at first!"

"...You didn’t know about the rumors?"

"No, I didn’t. I wasn’t interested."

"I see..."

Leord was taken aback by Benaud’s hearty laugh. Reflecting on it, Benaud was the kind of person who fit the description of being free and easy. He didn’t care about small things.

Benaud didn’t know the rumors about Leord, but he remembered that Leord had been the youngest champion in the youth division of a martial arts tournament. He hadn’t recognized Leord, who had gained weight since then.

As they were talking, Gilbert arrived.

"Master, are you hurt?"

"No. Thanks to Captain Benaud."

"That’s good. Captain Benaud, thank you for saving Lord Leord. I will report this to Lord Beluga and express our gratitude later."

"That’s fine. I just did what a knight should do, so there’s no need for thanks. But, I can’t refuse the gratitude of a duke’s family, so, Lord Gilbert, could you ask Lord Beluga for some wine?"

"Understood. I will tell Lord Beluga that Captain Benaud requested wine."

"Great! Thank you. Now I have something to look forward to after the battle!"

"By the way, why are you here, Captain Benaud?"

"By the king’s order. I led two thousand knights. He said to leave the field to me, so I took the lead and was exterminating the monsters."

"Then, is the monster panic over?"

"I can’t say for sure, but the monsters around Zeato have already been exterminated. This might have been the last of them."

As Benaud said, the presence of monsters could no longer be felt. Leord, hearing Benaud’s words, used detection magic again and confirmed a large amount of magical energy, but it was well-organized, indicating it was the knight corps.

Leord, feeling relieved that the monster panic was over and that he had survived, collapsed on the spot, his legs giving out.

"Master!?"

"Sorry. I just felt relieved and collapsed."

"I see... Don’t scare me like that."

"Hehe, sorry."

Even as Gilbert scolded him, Leord was smiling. He was relieved that the long monster panic was over and that he could finally rest.