Chapter 86

Chapter 85

"Would you not tell me why you decided to team up with such a person?"

As I approached him calmly, he took a step back, then another, putting distance between us, his demeanor changing.

I thought he had become stronger through the power of the sword, but even after discarding his sword, he unleashed attacks that were unbearably heavy.

It seemed he realized that it wasn't just about the sword's power.

"Exactly what are you...?"

No one is perfect. High-level divine magic, master-level sword skills, and after discarding the sword, master-level physical attacks.

It's impossible to achieve such a level at my age, by any reasonable standard.

Perhaps a few exceptional geniuses could manage one of these.

"I saw it on the way here. It seems human bodies were implanted with cells from other monsters."

Yulisse's eyes widened in surprise at my words.

"Did you join in this to restore your broken body?"

"Shut up!!"

Enraged, he would have surely attacked me under normal circumstances.

But the way his trembling hand instinctively covered his chest showed he was on high alert.

"At this point, it's absurd to think. You gave the germs to the bandits to spread the disease in this manor."

My gaze fixed on Linton.

"Was it you?"

"Ah!"

"Correct, you bastards."

To conduct unknown research and receive funding, you carried out a biochemical terror attack on a perfectly fine manor to obtain the cure.

"If this fact becomes known, it won't just end with the organization being dismantled."

A medical organization, created for good purposes, injected healthy people with pathogens and secretly conducted human experiments by kidnapping them.

Even in a world where commoners' lives are considered as insignificant as flies, there are still basic human principles.

It's absurd. Thinking about how the nobles, who consider commoners' lives even less valuable than flies, are determined to pounce on this opportunity.

"Ku... Ku... Co... Corio Baron!"

"Be quiet!!"

Linton, groaning in pain, called out desperately to Baron Corio.

But Baron Corio, tense and unable to approach me easily, looked extremely nervous.

-Go easy, Dave.

'Should I?'

I smiled and lightly opened my fist.

"I'll stop aiming for the chest."

"..."

His tone was mocking, but he said nothing.

Rumble!!

Finally, he took a step forward, sharply raising his guard and quickly closing in.

His sword, which he hadn't let go of, seemed to be making a final stand, drawing all his mana to create an Aura Blade.

Indeed, even a broken Swordmaster, though rotten, still has a formidable power that is difficult for me, with my abnormal balance, to block.

What I have that is overwhelmingly higher is experience in personal combat and the insight to see the blind spots in the flow of battle.

"Huff."

I detect his distance in units as he approaches like a projectile.

The advantage of martial arts is the freedom and speed of movement at close range.

And the moment his movement becomes the most unnatural.

Crack!

I shattered the ground and plunged forward, driving my fist directly into his face.

"Ah!"

Instinctively, he tried to protect his face with his sword, creating an opening.

I ruthlessly changed the direction of my attack.

Ha ha! You fell for it again, kid!

Again.

Bang!

"Chok?!"

Both fists, gathered in one spot, struck his chest.

Someone muttered that it was despicable and cruel, but my gaze remained fixed on Baron Corio.

Crash!!

With a shockwave, Baron Corio was thrown into the air and rolled on the ground several times, spitting out blood.

His eyes, now half-empty, stared at me.

"You... despicable..."

"You have no right to speak, given that you couldn't handle it."

At my muttering, his eyes widened slightly.

He realized the most basic fact he had forgotten in this absurd confrontation.

That he was already completely outmatched by me in terms of basic capabilities.

The emotion in his eyes was envy, jealousy, and anger at the mysterious level I had achieved.

After a moment of complex emotions, his eyes lost all color and became empty, and his once solid body, even in his aged state, gradually lost its support and collapsed.

-Still alive... Did you control your strength too much?

'No, that guy is tough.'

The difference in power between an Expert and a Master is so subtle and detailed that it's hard to express in words.

Moreover, Baron Corio was a former Royal Knight Commander, known for his outstanding prowess.

If he were in good condition, he probably wouldn't have dropped his sword.

-Then at least cut off his breath.

'He's going to die anyway, even if I leave him.'

"Come... Venny."

I approached Winry and the two others who were watching but didn't understand the situation.

"Sir Dave."

"How is your body?"

He gave a bitter smile.

"This is a complete nuisance. By the way... I'm sorry. While I was away, Baron Corio came and the treatments... were..."

The regret in his voice was palpable.

He seemed to think that all the treatment drugs, which were barely keeping the dying people alive, had been burned.

The amount I initially gave to Baron Gorné was not enough to treat everyone.

Moreover, considering the need for continuous administration, it would be far from enough.

"That? It's fine. And it was my negligence for not securing the place, so don't worry about it."

At my nonchalant response, his eyes widened.

"What? What do you mean?"

"If I die, the cure will vanish into thin air. Linton wouldn't just leave it at that."

At my smiling words, he nodded in understanding.

"So go back first. Go and take care of Winry."

"Sir Dave..."

"I'll deal with the remaining one and follow you."

"Ah! Baron... Linton!"

At my words, Winry, who had just remembered, turned her head and cried out in surprise.

This was because Baron Linton, who had been pinned to the wall with his shoulder pierced by the red and blue swords, was nowhere to be seen.

The two swords that had pinned him were now on the ground, and trails of blood, presumably from him, led out of the chamber.

"Damn! He's escaped!..."

"So go back first."

"I'm sorry. With my current mana state..."

"Just stay still."

"Yes?"

At my words, he looked surprised and puzzled, then his eyes widened.

A short-range teleportation spell that a 5th Circle Mage can use.

However, the range is only about 5 to 8 kilometers, which is why I had considered using it when coming from Hines Manor to Ordem Manor.

Currently, I can only use up to the 5th Circle.

"Wh... What?! Sir Dave! You can use magic too?!"

"Indeed..."

I smiled and snapped my fingers, and Yulisse and Winry disappeared in an instant.

After confirming that they had completely left the influence of the spell, I picked up the red and blue swords without hesitation.

"Leaving someone else's precious child like this."

A joke slipped out of my mouth, but my expression remained strangely stiff and didn't relax easily.

More than the absurd situation, I felt extremely down because I had used Winry in this situation.

* * *

"Ku... Hu... Ku!"

Linton's escape was nothing more than a desperate struggle.

Following the trail of blood he left, I found him standing in a corner of a large control facility.

His left arm was missing below the elbow, and both shoulders were torn.

The pain must have been considerable, but his determination to survive was evident from his ability to endure it.

"You monster..."

"Who's calling who a monster?"

Sssss! Clang!

In an instant, a red afterimage flew in, and the Aura Blade, swung like a whip, aimed to slice through his body.

But as if waiting for it, a pink energy barrier activated in front of him, shattering the Aura Blade before it could touch him.

"Hu... Hu, that's why one must always have a final move."

Looking at his trembling hand, I saw that the barrier was quite solid.

It felt as if the air had solidified, blocking the attack.

A barrier created by forcibly compressing a significant amount of mana. You must have spent quite a bit of money.

Holding the red sword steadily, I watched him calmly. He soon began to activate a remote control he had taken from his pocket.

At the same time.

"You've been quite the troublemaker, monster."

Linton's body began to blur, like a mirage.

The speed was quite slow, but it resembled the phenomenon of a Mana Gate, one of the most common ancient legacies.

-He's trying to escape!

Perseus shouted in surprise.

"What will you do now? Will you kill me? Hahahaha! Go ahead! Try to kill me if you can!"

He boldly threw his broken glasses away and, with a deranged smile, spat at me.

"I will never let anyone who interferes with my research go unpunished. Wait for it. I will put you in a test tube alive someday."

"Sure, I'll look forward to it."

"Ku... Ku... Ku... Ku... Ku!!"

Is this situation that funny?

In the end, Linton, who had been sneering, burst into laughter, looking down on me.

"Ultimately, you're just a human! The treatments you created are all in my possession. You couldn't save anyone! Not now, and not after I'm gone!"

His mad laughter echoed throughout the control room.

"Ku... Ku... Ku... Ku... Ku! What, do you have anything you want to say before the