Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 15: A Sense of Unease (2)
A vast marshland lay in the kingdom’s northeast. Although officially part of the royal capital, it was actually untouched wilderness without a single house or field.
Beyond it flowed the Ureri River, which originated in the northern mountains.
“Beasts have often appeared along the Ureri River. It wouldn’t be surprising if an undead beast that escaped the northern campaign washed ashore here. We’re fortunate it reached an uninhabited area.”
At the head of the column, the mounted high-ranking knight Lloyd surveyed the marshland and sighed quietly.
It was the dry season, and patches of exposed earth lay parched and cracked. Fortunately, the horses could advance some distance.
The king and chancellor rode in a lavish carriage so out of place that one would never guess they had come to destroy an undead beast.
Most soldiers served in the Royal Guard and had been deployed to protect the king. Holy Knight Elliot and his aide, Sir Lloyd, were the only members of the Royal Order of Knights present.
The king had also declared that the expedition would educate the Royal Guards, who had no experience fighting undead beasts.
The chancellor even intended to bring distinguished guests from home and abroad. Lloyd had desperately protested that he couldn’t guarantee everyone’s safety if the party grew any larger and managed to prevent that, at least.
—This isn’t a spectacle…
Depressed, Lloyd glanced back at Elliot, who had been sent into battle on horseback while still wearing the garish ceremonial uniform utterly unsuited for combat.
“You have it rough too…”
“The report mentioned only one. As long as no one minds the uniform getting dirty, there should be no problem.”
Reassured by Elliot’s calm demeanor, Lloyd looked across the marsh again.
Near the riverbank, behind a large boulder, he spotted the silhouette of a great black beast.
It resembled a dog or wolf but was considerably larger. Stranger still, numerous eyes covered its forehead, and reddish-black mudlike matter coated its body.
The creature seemed to have detected Lloyd and Elliot approaching ahead of the main column, yet it made no move.
“It’s relatively small for an undead beast. Still, something is strange…”
As they watched it, hoofbeats sounded behind them.
“Hmm… With His Majesty present, I had the surrounding area examined as a precaution, but this appears to be the only one.”
Lloyd turned to find Bishop Powell of the royal capital’s Grand Church sitting thoughtfully on his horse. Though quite elderly, Powell rode with ease and possessed a dignity that belied his age.
Because the expedition involved an undead beast, several members of the clergy, including the bishop, accompanied the soldiers.
Emily, still dressed in a gown, had received permission to ride in the king’s carriage.
The purification blessings held by many clergy allowed them to see whether undead beasts lurked anywhere within their field of vision.
After examining the surroundings, the clergy carefully raised a barrier to protect the king.
Elliot, Lloyd, and Bishop Powell quietly dismounted. After confirming that the king’s carriage remained sufficiently distant, they slowly closed in on the black mass.
“That is… not yet…”
As Powell murmured under his breath, the wolflike head with its many eyes swung toward them. It opened a huge, misshapen, fanged mouth and sprang from the ground.
“It’s coming!”
Almost as Lloyd drew his sword and shouted, Elliot kicked off the ground, charged forward, and pulled his holy sword from its sheath.
But—
“Ugh…!?”
“Elliot…?!”
Elliot drew the holy sword and tried to raise it, but lost his balance badly. The awkward sight bore no resemblance to the man Lloyd had watched on the battlefield.
Elliot managed to regain his footing and swung the sword at the charging creature’s neck.
A dull clang rang out as two hard objects struck.
The blade stopped halfway through the reddish-black wolf’s neck.
Elliot furrowed his brow, gritted his teeth, and forced the holy sword through. At last, the head separated from the body, fell with a wet thud, and shattered.
“…As I thought. This is an incomplete transformation.”
Powell spoke after examining the remains. Reddish-black, mudlike decayed flesh covered the corpse, but patches of black fur remained in places—traces of the original dog- or wolflike beast.
“Could that also explain why the holy sword didn’t appear to glow?”
Lloyd whispered the question. Powell’s expression hardened, but he shook his head to indicate that he didn’t know.
Nearby, Elliot stood deathly pale, shoulders heaving. The arm hanging at his side still gripped the holy sword and trembled.
Lloyd gave Elliot a worried glance, then suddenly gasped.
“Elliot, your sword…”
The edge of the beautiful blade, engraved with ivy representing the Goddess, was chipped and broken.