Chapter 43

Lambert held his greatsword and approached the fallen Hector, who was preparing to defend himself. Hector's eyes moved slightly, and he looked up at Lambert.

"…If you have anything to say, I'll listen."

Hector smiled weakly and looked up at the ceiling.

"It's great. I've lived like a corpse for so long… but now I can die with the feeling that I truly lived."

Lambert was about to lower his sword, thinking these were Hector's final words, but he stopped when he saw Hector's lips move again.

"…Hey, General, it might sound pretentious, but can I ask you something? I've been thinking… if I had been born in the era of the Eight Nations Unification War… do you think I could have left my name in history? Could I have become a hero?"

After a moment of silence, Lambert spoke.

"You were strong. You were the first to make me go on the defensive after I returned."

Hearing Lambert's words, Hector laughed bitterly.

"Is that so? Yeah, that's right… I already knew that."

In reality, he didn't need to ask Lambert; he already knew.

The battle with Lambert lasted only about a minute.

At the beginning, Hector was just retreating and trying to strike, over and over again. Just getting close was all he could manage. He knew that if he attacked, he would be immediately killed. Even relying on the techniques he called boring, he could only manage a few defensive moves. Even those were easily broken, and he received a heavy blow to his abdomen.

For Hector, it was a fierce battle. But from Lambert's perspective, it was just another ordinary fight, which Hector understood.

He had exerted all his strength, surpassing his limits, and delivered what he considered the ideal, the best sword strike. The only evaluation he received was that he managed to defend for a few moves. The difference in their abilities was too great.

Lambert's heavy armor protected him from enemy attacks, leaving his body unharmed. But Hector couldn't even land a single blow on that armor. There was no way he could call it a good fight.

Hector's single arm reached out for the sword that had fallen to the ground. But it fell to the floor as if the string had been cut, and after a few seconds of convulsive shaking, it stopped moving.

"I'm weak… I'm so weak… Damn it, I wanted to be stronger. Why did I get so arrogant and corrupt… Ha ha ha, it's laughable. If I had spent the time I wasted looking for enemies on practicing my sword, I could have fought a better battle today."

Hector spread his single arm wide and whispered. Tears streamed down his face. As Lambert raised his sword, Hector nodded slightly. Lambert's sword decapitated Hector.

Ouboc, the baron, had been so engrossed in the intense battle that he had forgotten to breathe. When he saw Hector's head cut off, he finally remembered his own situation. The next target of that massive sword would be him.

"Ah… Ahh! Ahhh!"

Ouboc tried to stand but his legs trembled and he fell, hitting the ground. Still, he tried to crawl away, but there was no way Lambert would let such a pitiful escape succeed. The greatsword that had decapitated Hector was raised and pointed at Ouboc.

Ouboc's face turned pale, but he steeled himself, knowing there was no way out. He forced a defiant expression on his contorted face.

"Hah, hah, hah… I am Ouboc. The head of the noble Oudnok family, who has long served the Kingdom of Legios. Go ahead, madman who calls yourself a ghost, kill me. But you will be hunted throughout the land. Not just you, but your family and friends will all be considered criminals. Are you prepared… to sacrifice those around you to kill me? Is this revenge? I have more than enough reasons to be hated."

Ouboc's expression twisted into a grotesque smile.

"Even if you kill me, my family, the Oudnoks, will continue to flourish. My life is far less important than that. Hah, hah, hah, and in contrast, how pitiful you are! Demon of revenge, great sinner who calls yourself a ghost!"

Ouboc stood, trembling, and glared at Lambert.

Lambert lowered his greatsword and took a few steps back. Ouboc, thinking Lambert wouldn't back down from such a threat, was confused by this unexpected action. He wondered if Lambert was considering sparing him, seeing it as a way out.

"…Yes, yes. Do you want to make a deal with me? It's a wise choice. I don't want to have an enemy like you. If you're not after my life, I have no intention of killing you. If you want something, just say it. I will use my power to get it for you."

A voice echoed from the direction of the Ouboc estate.

"Relax, Ouboc. Your lineage, power, and name will all end here."

It was Gehrman, the guild master of "Twilight of the Spirits," who had been imprisoned in the Ouboc estate. He had escaped from the basement during the commotion caused by Lambert and, seeing this as a good opportunity to take down Ouboc, had moved through the estate.

"The evidence of your evil deeds that I gathered with great effort seems to have been disposed of… but there should be plenty more to find in this mansion. Your noble friends won't be able to protect you when they see all this."

Gehrman thrust multiple sheets of paper at Ouboc. They contained orders and calculations for collecting taxes beyond the legal limit, lists of assassination targets including those who opposed him, village intellectuals, and troublesome merchants. Even documents that had been kept under strict security were now exposed.

There was even a record of his investment and negotiations with the "Whistling Devil," a banned magic organization that the Kingdom of Legios considered dangerous. In exchange for a large investment, he had used them to destroy troublesome villages and had even contracted to be given a high position if the "Whistling Devil" succeeded in overthrowing the kingdom. These papers alone were enough to have Ouboc's head cut off ten times over. The dissolution of the Oudnok family was almost certain.

"N-no, no, no…"

Ouboc took three steps back, his eyes changing as he lunged at Gehrman.

Gehrman, wielding a sword he had obtained within the Ouboc estate, struck Ouboc's cheek with the hilt. Ouboc fell to the ground, and Gehrman pressed the hilt of the sword against his neck, pinning him to the floor.

"You! Is this revenge for destroying your family? Don't get too cocky, you poor, insignificant noble!"

Ouboc, still pinned down, turned his head to yell at Gehrman.

"…Thank you, Lambert. Thanks to you, I can achieve my long-held wish. I never thought I would be so close to Ouboc's head."

"No need to thank me. I'm just repaying a debt."

If Gehrman hadn't expelled Lambert from "Twilight of the Spirits," the investigation into Ouboc would have been significantly delayed. Lambert might have had to leave the city in despair, unable to walk through it properly.

"Ouboc. You are nothing but a heinous criminal. You oppressed your subjects, killed those who opposed you, and even plotted to overthrow the kingdom. All of this will soon come to light."

Gehrman, with his sword pointed at Ouboc, spoke. Ouboc, holding his head with both hands, let out a bestial roar.

While watching this, Lambert was already calmly considering what to do next.

(A noble who spoke of his family's prosperity was funding an anti-state organization…)

Ouboc was said to have deep connections with important figures in the capital. It was hard to believe that such a person would support mere terrorists.