“……. ”

Benhamin silently cut off the creature’s neck.

The creature’s torso bent and twisted, falling into its nest.

The suppression of the Basilisk with a broken body was simple.

The neck was cut with a thud.

When Benhamin laid the blade down, blood flowed.

When Benhamin touched his cheek, a splinter that had bounced off during the suppression scratched his skin.

He ran his numb fingers over his cheek.

It was annoying.

Various discomforts mixed together and scratched his nerves.

His outer clothes were wet and filthy with mud from the suppression work. He tousled his short hair.

“Even though it’s annoying.”

Squelch! The army boot crushed the vines of the Basilisk’s nest. Roskella approached, cutting the vines with the hilt in her hand.

“It seems like the nest suppression is also over by now.”

“……. ”

“Did you get hurt again?”

“I got scratched a bit.”
“It had to be the cheek that got injured. Since the venom is still strong, be careful; the wound might turn severe.”

Because of the injured cheek, it was awkward to cover it with the outer garment.

“Are you listening?”

Benhamin silently traced the scar on his cheek, which he had wiped with his sleeve. The skin was rough due to the dirt.

“The venom is still potent.”

“The stench is intense.”

“I’ll clean it up first.”

Benhamin descended from the monster’s nest, stepping firmly. The outer garment with the imperial emblem was soaked in monster blood.

“Has the day already passed?”

He left the imperial palace late at night, and now it was getting dark again.

“The examination of the unidentified corpse is complete.”

“Have you determined the cause of death?”

“Sacrificed to dark magic. Offering his body as a vessel… They’re using dark magic to explode the area. The victim this time was the vessel that contained dark magic.”

“It seems consistent with their tribe’s actions.”

“Both monsters and their worshippers. The cruelty of monsters is getting worse day by day.”

“The worshippers have awakened. There must be someone in their tribe who handles monsters.”

As Benhamin descended from the monster’s nest, the mercenary unit waiting on the suppression front was still subduing the remaining monsters.

“How about the casualties on our side?”

“Thanks to the mercenary unit blocking the passage until the last moment, there were no attacks on Inga and the harbor.”

Benhamin turned his body and thrust the blade into the ground.

Swish!

Behind him, there was a squelch sound, and the monster’s neck bone snapped. The crow with torn eyes chuckled, smiling. The crow, burnt black by venom, flapped its wings in a cheerful manner. Benhamin grabbed its neck.

“To call you a scout seems too ordinary.”

The crow opened its beak. Having rolled around the suppression front, it had spent quite some time.

As Benhamin thrust the blade deeply and twisted it, the creature sacrificed itself as a vessel for dark magic.

Thunk!

Benhamin laid the blade in his hand.

“You’re up to the usual tricks.”

The skin was burnt black.

His eyes closed low.

Sharlof lit a lantern. The lantern flickered in the imperial archive. Cut off from the outside, it guarded the imperial archive.

‘Ancient monsters.’

The imperial archive was filled with ancient covenant books.

Due to the prohibition of removal and the closure that blocked external access, only imperial officials and the royal family could access the interior.

The tranquility of old paper books settled in the air.

Sharlof felt his way along the bookshelves with his fingertips.

Orcs, and wyverns with bat wings.

The ancient monster compendium, handled by the Black family, was on one side of the bookshelf.

‘My eyes are tired.’

Sharlof closed his eyes quietly.

“Your Majesty.”

A presence was heard from outside.

“It’s Katarina.”

“……. ”

“Are you inside?”

The day had already turned dark outside.

After the emperor and the punitive force left, Sharlof remained alone in the imperial archive.

“It’s dark outside now. There’s much concern from outside.”

“It’s been this much time already.”

The imperial archive librarian expressed concern from the side.

Sharlof put on the mantle he had taken off the table.

“Please check, Your Majesty.”

As she came out, a small sigh could be heard from outside.
“Fortunately, it’s not too late.”

“I didn’t realize it got this dark.”

Katarina, who was nearby, asked.

“Why is your neck like that?”

“Perhaps from sitting in the same position for too long. It’s a bit stiff.”

Sharlof massaged his stiff neck. It had gotten dark outside.

“It’s quite annoying that the visibility is blocked.”

“The clouds have thickened since the afternoon.”

The view was obscured in darkness.

As Sharlof entered the bedroom, he took off his shawl and felt his shoulders.

His gaze reached into the dark void.

Outside, the rustling of leaves sounded like the wind.

Swish Swish.

With his fingertips, he pushed the glass window, and a crack opened.

“It’s my crossbow.”

Katarina, who had been guarding nearby, approached.

“A crossbow?”

“My crossbow that I used in a past hunting competition. Did you keep it for me?”

“If it’s a crossbow that uses bullets instead of arrows, I’ve been keeping it. You asked me to keep it and carry it with me, didn’t you?”

Katarina handed him the crossbow. It was small and fit into one hand.

Sharlof accepted the crossbow handed to him.

“I thought I had forgotten.”

“…I didn’t realize its necessity until now.”

Katarina turned her body toward the outside.

The cheek was scarred flesh.

Something, what could it be?

It was close. And even now, it was getting closer.

“Darn it! It’s a monster!”

Katarina also sensed the change.

With half-drawn blade, Katarina sat on the windowsill.

The aura of death permeated the air.

This was the smell of decaying flesh that had been enchanted into a beast’s skin.

“I will protect you. Please step back!”

The fingertips tingled.

She squinted her eyes.

As she felt her wrist, the tendons were painfully stiff.

The palm flesh was red, and when clenched, blue veins protruded.

‘The flesh is going to peel off.’

I don’t know why these words came to mind.

My chest tightened as if a sharp pain pierced through.

The strength in the wrist faded away.

Crack.

A crow perched outside the window.

Only its eyes twinkled, buried in the dark darkness.

It tore its beak.

“He’s dying soon. I told you to tear his skin while I’m alive.”