Chapter 72

From the Earl's mansion, screams and cries echoed.

The sound of clashing blades and what seemed to be the explosions of magical attacks followed shortly after.

Yunos deduced that the private soldiers remaining in the Earl's mansion and the "Dancing Sword" under his command were fighting back against the attack by the "Flute Devil."

Yunos snorted in boredom and quickened his pace to move away from the sounds.

(The battle has begun. For me, it would be easy to escape...)

This was a perfect opportunity to rise to the top of the many adventurer guilds.

However, if this territory itself were to decline, it would be meaningless.

It was a pity to abandon the "Dancing Sword" and nullify all the achievements so far.

But with subordinates of that level, it wouldn't be impossible to gather them again.

Moreover, he had the confidence that, with the experience of founding and managing the "Dancing Sword," he could do even better next time.

He wanted to take the higher-ups of the "Dancing Sword" with him, but he didn't think anyone would follow his decision to abandon the territory and start anew elsewhere.

Yunos had thoroughly hidden his cold and pragmatic side from his subordinates, pretending to be the opposite.

This was more convenient for using people.

As Yunos walked down the corridor with a disinterested look, hurried footsteps approached.

He wanted to avoid them, but it would result in unnecessary detours. The risk of encountering others on the detour was also high, making it pointless.

Yunos clicked his tongue and glanced at the sword on his waist.

He straightened and resumed his walk.

The private soldier of Earl Mondo appeared at the end of the corridor.

"Is this the Guild Master of the 'Dancing Sword,' Mr. Yunos? However, it seems there was a surprise attack upstairs... Why are you here?"

The private soldier stopped and looked at Yunos suspiciously.

Yunos did not stop.

"Ah, I got scared, so I decided to leave this mansion. Please apologize to Earl Mondo for my abrupt departure."

Yunos passed by the stunned private soldier without emotion.

"What are you saying! Why were you called here...!"

"For your information, I was only asked to deal with the mad hero. I'm not crazy enough to take on an anti-kingdom organization. That's your job as private soldiers."

"You, the 'Dancing Sword's Yunos,' are scared!"

The private soldier shouted at Yunos's back.

Yunos did not respond.

He only thought that it was fortunate not to be one of the "Dancing Sword" subordinates or the "Flute Devil" mages.

The private soldiers of the Earl were not as close as the "Dancing Sword" subordinates, so they wouldn't come after him in this emergency.

If it were the enemy mages, the battle would have been unavoidable regardless of Yunos's attitude.

"Are you running away because you're afraid of the enemy? It seems you're not as great as people fear! It's a mystery how you've been the leader of the 'Dancing Sword'! Scum! Never show your face again!"

Yunos ignored the private soldier's insults and walked down the corridor.

He had no interest in the private soldier.

After a few steps, Yunos felt a strange presence and stopped to look back.

At the end of the corridor, in the direction Yunos had come from, a man in a black robe stood.

His hands were hidden under long sleeves.

However, the long blades of a double sword were visible.

The face under the robe had no eyelids. The skin above the eyes was painfully torn, with only a small piece of flesh attached.

His eyes were bloodshot and always wide open.

He had no nose, only two holes in the center of his deformed face.

"You, Black Demon! Are you one of the 'Flute Devil' gang!"

The Black Demon was a serial killer who had suddenly appeared in the city of Baraila.

Due to his bizarre appearance, he was called the Black Demon out of fear.

A top-tier adventurer who had been searching for the Black Demon was found dead, his body torn apart, which made the adventurers wary of him.

The Black Demon approached the private soldier with his double swords.

The private soldier fought back, but the Black Demon's swords were too fast.

Moreover, the long sleeves of the Black Demon's robe covered not only his arms but also the hilt, making it difficult to predict the sword's movements.

The private soldier's sword was knocked out of his hand, and the other blade quickly pierced his abdomen.

"Ku... ha..."

The private soldier fell to his knees.

The Black Demon pulled out his sword and spoke for the first time.

"Are you still alive? Don't worry, this is the position that will cause the most prolonged suffering and a certain death."

The private soldier tried to pick up his dropped sword to commit suicide.

The Black Demon crushed his hand and kicked the sword away.

The private soldier fell face down in a pool of blood.

The Black Demon looked at his face with satisfaction and then attacked Yunos.

"I thought the 'Flute Devil' only had mages... Ah, I see, a Cursed Swordsman."

"Indeed!"

A Cursed Swordsman is a swordsman who has received a magic to enhance physical abilities.

However, the forced enhancement of physical abilities has a significant backlash on the body, making it difficult to live long.

The complexity of the magic itself and the risks associated with enhancing physical abilities.

Moreover, the use of such magic for other biological taboo spells is considered dangerous, and few countries allow Cursed Swordsmen, with little legitimate research.

"My body's precision of movement is due to the magic of Master Manji! It far surpasses that of ordinary people!"

The Black Demon said proudly and raised his sword at Yunos.

Yunos also drew his sword.

The long blade described a circle, deflecting the Black Demon's sword accurately.

The Black Demon swung his swords left and right, but Yunos handled them with ease.

He timed his counterattacks to the moments when the Black Demon's swords were about to strike, disrupting the enhanced strength at the perfect moment.

"Hmm, not just a commoner! Interesting!"

The tip of Yunos's sword glowed, drawing a magic circle in the air.

"Wind, carry me."

A strong wind blew around Yunos, lifting him into the air.

"Magic sword, what a trivial trick..."

The Black Demon took a step back.

Yunos, enveloped in the wind, moved unpredictably, flipping and passing by the Black Demon.

A metallic sound echoed as they crossed paths.

"Tsk..."

The Black Demon's unusual face showed discomfort.

The blades had clashed, but he had not fully defended himself, and Yunos had deeply cut his arm.

A difficult-to-dodge sword technique, combining magic for unpredictable high-speed movement.

This was the reason Yunos was called the "Dancing Sword" and the origin of the guild's name.

However, the Black Demon's pain perception had been intentionally weakened by Manji when he became a Cursed Swordsman.

He could continue fighting as long as he was alive, a true berserker.

The Black Demon repositioned his bleeding arm and glared at Yunos.

Yunos, in a backflip, swung his sword.

"Wind, carve."

He landed and a light from the tip of his sword drew a magic circle, releasing a wind blade at the Black Demon.

"What!"

It was rare for a swordsman to use magic. Focusing on casting a spell during close combat was extremely difficult.

One needed to be skilled in both swordsmanship and magic.

The Black Demon jumped back and deflected the wind blade with his sword, scattering it.

"You, with all your petty tricks..."

The Black Demon repositioned his sword and tried to locate Yunos, who was supposed to be in front of him.

Yunos, however, crouched and positioned his sword right in front of the Black Demon.

The Black Demon tried to intimidate him with a wide swing, but his reaction was too slow.

Yunos's sword swung horizontally.

The Black Demon's abdomen was torn open, and his intestines spilled out.

Without hesitation, Yunos switched his sword and pierced the Black Demon's brain through his eye, pulling it out.

The Black Demon died.

"If you're so strong, why... are you running...?"

The private soldier, lying in a pool of blood, muttered.

"There's no benefit for me to fight."

Yunos said dispassionately and left the scene.

He set his sights on the balcony on the second floor.

With his wind magic, he could easily land unharmed from the second floor.

He moved to the balcony, looked down at the city from the fence, and sighed.

"Truly, I've had no luck. I've spent the past few years in this meaningless city."

"I agree, you have no luck."

Yunos turned to the voice and immediately swung his sword while retreating.

His sword broke the arrows flying towards him.

"I came here to check the state of the city, but I didn't expect to meet you first. I thought I would have to corner you before killing you... but it seems I don't have the luxury to do so."

The man in a strikingly bright green noble's outfit with curly orange hair was the war god Robin Hood.

"...Seeing the crisis of Earl Mondo, you came to avenge him. That's a case of misplaced anger, but there's no point in stopping you now. If you want to go, just..."

"Grabbing your tail was a hassle, Yunos of the Dancing Sword. You understand, right? The reason I attacked your subordinates and now draw my bow on you here. Are you still trying to bluff?"

Robin Hood aimed his bow at Yunos.

Yunos's expressionless face broke, and his narrowed eyes opened slightly with excitement.

He smiled thinly, as if taunting.

"Then, that's a case of misplaced anger. You went to a forbidden monster hunt. At that point, you should have been prepared for interference, shouldn't you?"