Chapter 94
Ordin of the O’Neill Kingdom.
Although already a well-known figure, his name is particularly memorable to me.
He was the one who directly confronted me during the Dragon Heart theft incident.
At that time, I was brimming with confidence.
It was when I had discovered new ways to utilize Spatial Movement and had just begun applying it in combat.
I was so full of overconfidence, bordering on arrogance, that I felt unbeatable against anyone.
That’s why I boldly declared I would enter the O’Neill Kingdom’s vault and take the Dragon Heart.
It was Ordin who shattered that arrogance.
Not only was he a better swordsman than me, but he also quickly adapted to my unconventional attacks, which utilized Spatial Movement.
Granted, I wasn’t able to face him calmly due to the urgency of the situation, but even taking that into account, his adaptability was astonishing.
It was clear from his skills alone why Ordin was called a “Genius Knight.”
A man with a towering physique and an equally sharp mind.
Within just a few exchanges, Ordin had figured out my technique and even counterattacked.
He predicted where I would teleport and swung his sword accordingly, or at times, intentionally exposed vulnerabilities to lure me into an attack.
And he did all of this in under ten minutes.
The last memory I have of Ordin is of a solid, muscular man whose entire body seemed about to burst from strength, paired with a quick mind and unparalleled combat sense.
At least, that’s how he was.
“Today is the day. The kingdom welcomes the Empire’s promising youths. I hope you can take something valuable with you during your stay.”
‘Huh…’
The Ordin sitting in front of me now and the Ordin I remembered seemed like two completely different people.
His physical build was unchanged.
His muscular body still looked as if it might burst at any moment.
The only visible change was the occasional streak of white hair.
Other than that, his appearance had not changed at all.
In fact, he might have grown even more muscular from consistent training.
However, his aura was entirely different.
The Ordin who had relentlessly pursued me after I fled with the Dragon Heart exuded a confidence born of genuine skill.
It wasn’t arrogance like mine had been but a solid, reassuring confidence.
That presence made him seem larger and more formidable.
But the Ordin before me now radiated none of that energy.
‘What happened to him?’
Defeat.
That was the first thought that crossed my mind upon seeing him.
Ordin was shrouded in a profound sense of loss.
He resembled a knight who had suffered a crushing defeat in a battle where he staked everything and was now facing retirement.
“Any questions?”
“…”
No one spoke.
It seemed I wasn’t the only one who sensed something was off about Ordin.
Professor Amilion, though she tried to remain composed, seemed visibly unsettled, and Elizar, the knight, wore a bitter expression.
“If there are no questions, I’ll take my leave. I’m quite busy.”
“Yes, thank you!”
Nod-
Ordin nodded in response to Elaine’s expression of gratitude, and Elizar led us out of the room.
I had been slightly uneasy, wondering if Ordin might recognize me, but his defeated demeanor made that fear seem almost laughable.
Who would have thought someone so formidable could be consumed by such defeat?
‘I owe so much of my growth to that man.’
“You probably won’t get another chance to meet the Commander. As you saw, he’s very busy.”
“What happened to him?”
“Uh…”
Unable to suppress my curiosity, I asked Elizar.
Elizar looked at me, seemingly surprised, before flashing that bright smile again.
“Well, it’s a matter for the adults!”
“…”
Elizar’s response was cheerful but firm.
It was a clear signal that no further questions would be entertained.
‘Could it have something to do with dark magic?’
Her reaction only heightened my curiosity.
“Today’s schedule ends with a tour of the knight dormitory! Since you’ll be staying there, let me show you around!”
Elizar’s upbeat voice and brisk steps led us onward.
It almost felt like she was intentionally trying to lift the mood.
***
Meanwhile,
“The timing wasn’t great.”
“No, it couldn’t be helped. This was planned long before.”
“…”
Amilion looked at her friend, who was forcing a bright smile, with a faintly bitter expression.
Amilion was well aware of the recent events in the O’Neill Kingdom.
Although it hadn’t become a major public issue, it was a significant incident.
The complete annihilation of the “Silver Eagle Knight Order,” the strongest force in the O’Neill Kingdom.
For those who knew what the Silver Eagle Knight Order represented, the news was initially met with disbelief.
The annihilation of the O’Neill Kingdom’s Silver Eagles.
Amilion herself couldn’t believe it when she first heard the news, thinking it must have been misinformation.
After all, the knight order was powerful enough to overrun an entire city.
There was no way they could be wiped out so easily.
Moreover, they weren’t lost in war or during a mission.
According to the O’Neill Kingdom’s official statement, they were wiped out during a routine training exercise.
That’s why many suspected dark magic was involved.
Because the incident was simply too absurd to believe.
“So, is it something you can’t talk about?”
“…Yes. It’s classified, even within the knight order.”
“Tough times, huh.”
“Everyone’s the same. I heard there was an incident at your academy too.”
“At least we barely suffered any casualties.”
Elizar gave a bitter smile at Amilion’s words.
The phrase “no casualties” was something she deeply envied.
“One of my most respected seniors was part of the Silver Eagles.”
“Oh…”
“I could never have imagined seeing that senior fall like that. Hehe.”
“…”
Amilion found it difficult to respond to her sorrowful friend.
She understood the immense sense of loss that came with losing someone close.
Instead, Amilion gently held Elizar’s hand in a gesture of comfort.
Elizar let out a faint chuckle at the gesture.
“I’ve never seen Commander Ordin look so devastated.”
“He did seem to be struggling.”
“Yeah. He was the sole survivor of that day.”
“What?”
“This isn’t classified information. Commander Ordin was there that day.”
“Then, could it be…!”
At Elizar’s words, Amilion immediately thought of Yuria.
Yuria, who had been investigating dark magic and the undead.
Perhaps Commander Ordin might have some clues about dark magic.
“No. The Commander refuses to speak about what happened to outsiders.”
“…I suppose so.”
Although Amilion nodded at Elizar’s words, she wasn’t ready to give up.
Coming to the O’Neill Kingdom wasn’t just about visiting a friend—it was also part of her own mission.
To investigate the incident that had occurred in the O’Neill Kingdom.
No one had specifically asked her to, but Amilion had been working alongside Yuria.
This work had given her significant insights into dark magic, the undead, and the organizations operating behind the scenes.
Amilion was also genuinely curious and wanted to help Yuria.
After all, what Yuria was doing wasn’t just for the Empire but for the entire world.
“Would it be possible…”
“Hm?”
“…for me to visit the site of the incident?”
“Hmm…”
Amilion watched Elizar’s hesitant expression and felt a surge of confidence.
She would be able to visit.
If it were truly off-limits, Elizar would have denied her outright.
It seemed the incident site wasn’t entirely classified.
Buzz—
Perhaps they were too engrossed in their conversation.
Neither noticed the faint buzzing sound that emanated from within the room.
***
‘So, to sum up.’
I organized the results of my exploration around the knight order’s grounds.
The overall mood of the O’Neill Knight Order was bleak, likely due to the annihilation of the Silver Eagles.
After all, if even their commander, Ordin, was in such a state, how could his subordinates remain unaffected?
I had eavesdropped on Amilion and her friend Elizar’s conversation and tried to extract as much information as possible from within the knight order.
To my surprise, the Silver Eagles had indeed perished during training.
Whether this was intentional or a coincidence was unknown, but they had gone out for training and met their demise.
What wasn’t widely known, however, was the fact that there had been a survivor.
Commander Ordin.
Thinking of him as the sole survivor made his aura of defeat more understandable.
He had likely been forced to watch helplessly as his subordinates were overwhelmed by an unfamiliar dark magic.
Given that even Ordin’s skills had been unable to resist, it seemed their opponent was incredibly powerful.
I also discovered that the site of the incident was relatively close to where I was now.
Despite thorough investigations by the knight order and the kingdom’s researchers, they had found no trace to pursue their enemies.
‘I wish Yuria were here.’
I felt the absence of Yuria keenly.
If she were here, she might be able to uncover traces of dark magic that the O’Neill researchers had missed.
This was, after all, O’Neill’s first encounter with dark magic, whereas Yuria had been aware of and studying it for quite some time.
If nothing turned up during my visit to the site, I might have to secretly bring Yuria over.
If even she found nothing…
‘Well, I’ll deal with that when the time comes.’
Worrying too much would only prevent me from accomplishing anything.
I needed to focus on the steps I could take right now.
‘Before that, one last thing.’
I pictured the ceiling of Ordin’s office, which I had noted earlier.
Normally, sneaking into Ordin’s office would involve too much risk, but for some reason, I felt it would be fine this time.
Buzz—
Cautiously, I opened a space.
—
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