Skeleton Knight - Volume 07 - United Front Read online

  Lille unabashedly accepted her father’s embrace without any sign of discomfort.

  However, the King eventually recovered his composure and directed a harsh look towards his beloved daughter.

  “Lille, why did you return? You were told to head to the Dimo Earldom.”

  The King’s voice deepened as his hard eyes were drawn towards both of his daughter’s suddenly kneeling escorts.

  Behind us, a clicking sound signaled that the gate had been closed. The sound echoed throughout the area, being the chatter to a stop and exposing the king’s disfavor to everyone.

  The anger behind the king’s eyes originated from a parent discovering that their child had been brought to a dangerous location.

  Under the pressure of the King’s gaze, Zahar lowered his head and began to apologize.

  “I am sorry, my King. All responsibility fa─”

  However, Lille moved her small body in-between the two of them and cut off Zahar in the middle of his sentence.

  “The blame does not fall on Zahar and Nina! It was my decision to return here! To just do nothing…… to watch as my country dies……”

  You could hear the tears mixing into her speech as she defended her two escorts and revealed that she had disobeyed her father’s wishes.

  Even if she was royalty, she was still a little girl.

  Still aware of the eyes that were on them, the King started stroking Lille’s head and comfort her while she struggled to say her next words.

  “I’m sorry Lille…… Before I am a king, I am a worried father.”

  The patted down Lille’s golden locks before crouching down and whispering into her ear, but he once again wore a King’s expression as he righted himself and looked in my direction.

  “Then, can you identify those people and what purpose they have here?”

  Unlike before, the full dignity of a king was now on full display, so Ariane, Chiome and I prepared to bow and reply to his question.

  However, Lille wiped the tears from her eyes and answered before we could do anything.

  “These are the people I hired to rescue the capital! If not for their power we wouldn’t be standing here now.”

  The King’s gaze gave so another once over after hearing her explanation.

  “An elf and…… a beastmen?”

  The king was a bit confused as he looked over Chiome and Ariane, but the when I removed my helmet, ponta and all, his eyes seem to admit defeat over the matter.

  Naturally, I drank some of the spring water in advance, since someone with a skeletal face was rather frightening to the denizens of this world…… so they saw the face of a middle-aged, red-eyed dark elf instead.

  It was like a large question mark formed over the King’s head as doubt crept into his face when he looked over Ariane and myself once more.

  “They seem different from the regular elves, are they from Rouen Forest?”

  Just like when that question was asked before, Ariane was quick to delay the connection.

  “No, we are from Great Canada Forest. I am a dark elf and the one in the armor is…… a strange elf.”

  I bitterly chuckled at Ariane’s haphazard introduction and put my helmet back on before the water’s effects wore off.

  “What reasons would elves from such a distant forest have to help a human country?”

  The king fixed a cold stare on me as he asked us about our aims.

  Zahar, who’d remained behind Lille till now, slowly began open his mouth.

  “My King, there is something you need to know……”

  Zahar’s voice trailed off as he half stood from his kneeling position and began filling the King in on what had occurred up till now.

  The King’s expression was dyed the color of surprise as he looked in-between Zahar and me, his eyes bulged as he asked “Is that true?” in a small voice.

  The King broke into a cold sweat as he Zahar informed him of the part the “reinforcement” played in recent events.

  Silence fell over the area as the crowd watched their exchange play out until a shouting person pushed his way to the front of the crowd.

  Chapter 03: Cardinal Palermo

  “King Asparuf, what’s going on!?”

  The man who spoke was approaching the King with large strides.

  He wore luxurious robes reminiscent of priest grabs, his hair was slicked back, and, unusual in this word, he wore a pair of rimmed glasses.

  The suspicious person who suddenly appeared didn’t even bother to bow before he spoke, but the king’s answer revealed the man’s identity.”

  “Palermo-sama, how is the condition of the Church’s flock?”

  When the King asked the ma…… Palermo about his concerns about the ‘church‘, frustration crept into the edges of the man’s gentle expression, based on his attitude towards the king I suspected he was of high social standing.

  There were two other people that could barely contain themselves when the ‘church‘ was brought up.

  There was only one religion in this land that held any degree of power. This man was without a doubt tied to the Hiruku religion.

  Ariane’s and Chiome’s ears pricked up as they glared at the flashily dressed priest who appeared to be around thirty years old.

  Probably sensing their gaze, the man turned around without answering the king, only to be utterly startled when he saw them.

  “Your majesty! What is the meaning of this?! In addition to the beastmen in the city, what is an elf doing in human territory!?”

  The barely maintained mild expression completely vanished as he roughly scolded the people around us.

  Neither King Asparuf nor anyone else in his vicinity spoke up against Palermo’s sudden outburst, even from here I could see unrest and distress seeping into the people’s expressions.

  Even for outsiders like us, it was obvious from watching their behavior how the balance of power between the two was split.

  “Capture that vile beastmen and elf so that they may be brought under the church’s control! Your Highness, I would like a full explanation of this fiasco later! But for now, arrest these people!”

  Lille, her two bodyguards and the cavalry who had been brought here as reinforcements all showed their displeasure at what Palermo had said.

  While I expected things would get out of hand, I didn’t count on Ariane and Chiome making the first move.

  “You’re just a lowly beast and an elf…… You’re worth less than an animal, let alone a human being..”

  Ariane’s golden eyes took on a dangerous glint as she took hold of her sheathed sword, while Chiome’s nose twitched after she brandished her dagger.

  I wasn’t the only one surprised by their actions…… The king, Lille and Zahar were all shell-shocked by the deteriorating situation.

  However, Nina was quick to react.

  Although she was half a second slower than Ariane, she drew her own sword and stepped in-between us and the royal family.

  “You are in the King’s presence! Sheathe your sword now or this shall be treated as an act of rebellion!!”

  Ariane raised an eyebrow and gave a bitter smile at Nina’s command.

  “Rebellion…… We aren’t your King’s subjects in the first place.”

  Her eyes searched the area as she rebutted in disgust.

  Ariane set her sights on the one who had instigated this whole scene and opened her mouth.

  “The man with the flashy appearance over there is an undead pretending to be human.”

  My gaze naturally returned to Palermo after she made such a shocking statement, only to find him glaring back at me. Atop my helmet, Ponta gave him a threatening growl.

  “Greee……”

  Palermo had been so preoccupied with the growl he failed to notice Ariane’s approach.

  In an instant, Ariane closed the distance between herself and Palermo and unleashed her sword with lightning quickness.

  “Gyaaaaaaaa!!! M-My Armmmmm!!!”

&n
bsp; Palermo’s screams echoed through the area as a spray of black blood accompanied his left arm falling to the ground.

  Things immediately became hectic as Zahar and the other confused soldiers readied their weapons.

  “What are you doing?! I am a cardinal of the Hiruku Religion!! Capture those savages that attacked me and kill them!!”

  The soldiers under Zahar’s command reluctantly began to surround us at cardinal Palermo’s order.

  I figured that he’d been a high-ranking member of the church, but I thought he was a bishop or something, not a cardinal. I wasn’t all that familiar with church hierarchy but that post should be close to the top.

  For such a high-ranking member’s true identity to be that of an undead, just what kind of church was the Hiruku religion?

  For all intents and purposes, Palermo looked and acted like a human, but I doubt Ariane and Chiome would lie about such matters.

  Anyway, this wasn’t the right time to worry about his……

  Lille and her father were still trying to comprehend the constantly shifting situation and hadn’t given the soldiers any orders. They simply followed whatever order Palermo managed to get out in-between his screams.

  Somehow I had to get him to reveal his true nature all without harming the surrounding soldiers, civilians, or royals.

  “Hm. My, my…. This is getting rather troublesome……”

  With that comment, I drew my sword with one hand, lightly brandished it once and rested the blade on my shoulder.

  The resulting howl and blast of wind were more than a bit effective as the soldiers simultaneously shouted and leaped back. There was even a person who had been so surprised that he cowered down and covered his head with his arms.

  While their unabashed dread was a problem, it had its uses.

  “Arc-dono! What the hell was that!?”

  As this place continued to drown in confusion, Zahar raised his sword and demanded an explanation.

  The problem was just that they wouldn’t believe me even if I told them the truth.

  Ariane gave me a slight grin when she watched their reactions before focusing her gaze back to Palermo.

  “How long do you intend to continue with that poor performance? In the presence of an elf and a beastman? We can immediately tell that you aren’t human!”

  Saying this, Ariane swung her sword to deliver a second blow, but this time Palermo saw it coming and leaped backward.

  However, that leap was beyond the level of human capability.

  The surrounding people let out a surprised gasp and fell into an even deeper stupor when they witnessed it.

  The person in front of them was undead…… Elves were capable of seeing the ‘impurities‘ that surrounded the undead, and the superior senses of beastmen allowed them to smell them.

  However, humans lacked the means to determine if the cardinal in front of them was an undead or not.

  While I could tentatively be considered an elf, it was impossible for me to see these undead ‘impurities‘, so I couldn’t make a judgment call until I saw that abnormal leap.

  The only undead who had shown any kind of intelligence had been the spider-chimera and the amorphous monster I encountered in Tajiento.

  With his missing left arm and a pained expression, Palermo looked nothing like either of those deformed monsters.

  However, that assertion was quickly overturned.

  “Tch, to be brought so low by inferior races…… Today is a really unpleasant day, I doubt I can finish the plan by myself now.”

  Palermo said with a frown, his face distorting in pain as the stump of his left arm began to swell and grow into a new limb.

  “Wh-What is that!?”

  Hearing someone shout in panic, a fiendish smile appeared on Palermo’s face.

  'Rejoice, for one of the seven cardinals, Palermo Avaritia Liberalitas shall guide you to the land of the dead! Rest assured, it will be a peaceful death!'

  A deep and intimidating voice bellowed from within Palermo’s chest, the flesh of his body convulsing as if something was trying to break through the human shell.

  Two protrusions tore through the back of the cardinal’s luxurious robe and began to form a new set of arms. Hair started to sprout all over his body and his face started to resemble a cross between an owl and a monkey.

  Rows of long fangs lined the edges of a newly formed black beak and a two-meter long tentacle, which resembled the sandworm I faced some time ago, sprung out of his tailbone.

  Muscles fleshed out his body, which was now just shy of three meters in height.

  His former bespectacled eyes had turned a bloodshot red as he glared at the surrounding people.

  Although he looked like a huge, four armed squirrel monkey I doubt that anyone would consider this monstrosity cute.

  That man had just transformed into a never-seen-before monster…… even in a world filled with monsters and various races, this was a rather shocking development to see.

  Fear and shock colored the expression of those witnessing it, some were falling to their, others cursed their fate and others fled.

  The King and Lille were taken aback by all of this and got mixed up with the crowd of fleeing citizens.

  When Palermo caught sight of the royal family, a low muffled laughter escaped his beak as he slowly turned his body towards them.

  'Hehehe, let’s wipe this kingdom off the map……'

  Along with his foreboding comment, Palermo immediately accelerated towards King Asparuf.

  Within a single moment, Zahar had grasped the meaning of Palermo’s words and actions, raising his sword and shouting orders at the other soldiers.

  “Protect the King!! That thing is after the King’s life!! Stop it at all cost!!!”

  The soldiers regained their sense upon receiving his orders and started moving.

  “Princess Lille, get back!!”

  Nina stepped forward with her sword readied to protect Lille.

  A few soldiers tried to block Palermo’s charge, but they weren’t much of a roadblock as the monstrous cardinal simply throw the soldiers with a set of his arms.

  On top of being incapable of stopping his rampage towards the King, the soldier that his back arms tossed aside let out a final scream before their bodies were smashed to bloody chunks against nearby buildings.

  ……Fast!

  Ariane tried to pursue but the difference in height and leaping capability were too great for her to overcome.

  The soldiers were also useless as human shields.

  With a great leap, Palermo seamlessly dodged Zahar’s attack and landed in front of King Asparuf.

  'You shall be the first to fall into hell, King!!'

  “Father!!”

  Princess Lille tried running towards her father, but her screams were overtaken by Palermo’s gleeful laughter as Nina held the princess back.

  The movement of Palermo’s fist seemed painfully slow to watch.

  I doubted even I could make it in time. But now wasn’t the time for unnecessary thoughts.

  “Hang on Ponta! 【Dimensional Step】!”

  Chapter 04: Those Who Bare Their Fangs

  I materialized in-between King Asparuf and Palermo with my shield raised to block the cardinal’s swing.

  The impact of the collision sunk my feet into the street’s stone pavement.

  I clenched my teeth and pushed against the force of the blow with my shield, creating an opening for me to slash at Palermo with my sword.

  Although the air itself was parted, Palermo had leaped back to avoid the blow, furthermore, he added a backflip to his retreat, putting even more distance between us.

  Palermo’s massive size caused cracks to form in the patch of stone pavement he landed on.

  “Hm, never came across a monster like this before……”

  I shook my left arm to get rid of the numbness as while I grumbled.

  My easygoing manner only seemed to anger Palermo. His bloodshot red eyes gl
ow brighter and brighter as his face transformed into an even more frightening visage.

  'What in the world are you!? You share the Pope’s transfer methods! There’s no way a human could block my attack with one hand!!'

  While saliva flew out from Palermo’s beak-like mouth as he yelled at me, Ariane, Chiome and I shared a look.

  If his words were to be believed, the Pope of the Hiruku religion was capable of using transfer magic just as I was. While it was extremely useful in it of itself, it became a rather troublesome tool in enemy hands.

  I thought we’d found the mastermind behind these church-related incidents when one of the cardinals appeared, but it appeared that the Pope was the true ringleader.

  ……No, even if undead soldiers didn’t require much logistical support, it would be strange if the one controlling the organization hadn’t been involved with preparing a hundred thousand soldiers.

  I bottled that chain of thought for now, and I fixed my gaze on the enemy before me.

  Ariane and Chiome were slowly approaching with weapons raised, most likely intending to aim at Palermo’s blind spot, so I needed to offer them support in the front.

  “I’m not a human, but an elf. Sorry that your opponent is of such a lowly race.”

  The hairs on Palermo’s body stood up when I shrugged my shoulders and spoke.

  'An elf!? You’re an elf too!!'

  Palermo smashed one set of his hands against the ground in anger while the other set of hands caught the debris that created, launching the chunks of pavement towards Ariane and Chiome.

  “Kch!” “Wha!?”

  Their preternatural reflexes allowed to two to dodge the surprise attack.

  However, some of the other soldiers standing behind them were torn to shreds by the flying debris.

  He hadn’t taken his eyes off of me when he’d attack them, so he must have had a wide field of vision.

  The soldiers’ morale plummeted when they witnessed Palermo’s overwhelming destructive power.

  Palermo smiled when he noticed that his encirclement had been broken before he returned his focus to me, apparently noticing something.

  'I remember now. You’re that silver knight who killed Charos!'