Carb Sears (R) 337

Chapter 337 – Duties.

“Is it really okay to watch it like this?”

Diana said anxiously as she saw Usher standing facing Gideon.

“Didn’t you hear that guy’s story?”

Kayaba, who was standing beside her, answered, but she still couldn’t hide her worried expression.

“I know that feeling.”

Diana could fully understand as she listened to Usher’s story. Because she was neither she nor Kayaba. She wanted to repay Yakaf for saving him and teaching her. She wanted to prove that she could accomplish his will. When she realized she couldn’t. Because it was she who was buried in her powerlessness and her despair. It was not enough for her to bring him back from the dead, she would rather do his will, even if it meant sacrificing herself.

Although she found out only belatedly that all of that was rather different from what Yakaf had hoped for.

“But no matter what, the opponent is Gideon.”

Even so, the boy who looks like a sickly girl in front of a harpy whose intense red feathers are silently fluttering in the wind is very pitiful.

“Even if he does a handstand, it’s too reckless.”

Especially for those who knew the identity of that red harpy, Usher’s actions seemed nothing but childishness at best. The more a harpy resembles a beast, the more powerful it is. Bargazzet was like that, and Gideon was likewise the most bird-like among the harpies. As proof of the previous story, they were the worst enemies for the paladins here.

“Again, is it Yakaf again?”

I heard that most of Abner’s companions who were grinding their teeth near them now lost their lives at Gideon’s hands. It is not impossible to understand that he shows hostility towards them.

“So, at least it’s time to dry it…”
“If it could be dried, it would have been dried long ago. Do you think the two of you will hear that they are drying now?”

Diana tried to ask Kayaba to stop them, but he shook his head and chinned Usher and Gideon. Following his chin, she could see Usher holding a cross shield and aiming a rapier, and Gideon looking at it curiously.

“And now, no one wants to stop it more than anyone else, but if we stop it, it will only be an insult to that resolution.”
“Ah.”

Kayaba’s words belatedly reminded her of Erica and looked at her. The girl tumbles her feet as if impatient, but can’t get close to them, and only harbors a worried feeling in the transparent gray light.

“It’s already like a knight’s duel.”

Although dueling is taboo, if it takes place, it is surely regarded as a noble thing that stakes their pride and honor. Interfering with such a duel is the biggest insult to two people who have made up their minds.

‘Are you saying that no matter how young you look, you’re still a man?’

In the end, Diana decided to put her heart aside and watch them.

‘I have to see what kind of attack he’s making.’

That thought came to Usher’s mind before anything else as he faced Gideon. Since he is a paladin, he didn’t know what kind of magic he would attack, not just a weapon like a sword. He didn’t say sparring or fighting was a test, but from the moment he faced Gideon, a tingling sensation rising from his toes told him to do this, so Usher complied. As he watched Gideon in that state, a thought popped into his head.

‘Why am I doing this too?’

If such a strong Huffy formed a rescue team, as Erica had said, she wouldn’t have to join the rescue team, but her body was moving first. As if this could not be compromised. He seemed to be saying that he had to face it himself. Even if you don’t even know what it is. He thought so, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Gideon. As I suddenly felt a sense of incongruity, I swung the shield as a fan, and the sense of incongruity that had been glimmering in my vision at first glance disappeared along with the wind.

At that moment, Usher discovered the identity of the sense of incongruity that had formed for a moment.

“Sand?”
“You noticed it sooner than I thought.”

Because it was black particles that were clumped together in the shape of the wind.

“If you noticed, it would be pointless to waste time.”
“Ugh!?”

Soon, you feel a wriggling sensation under your feet and step away from your seat. When he looked down at himself where he had been before, he could see that there were no footprints even though it was clearly the sand where he was. Not only that, but he was trying to grab the place where he was, just like the sand came to life. But that’s not all.

“Ugh?!”

The moment he stepped out of his seat, his head spun as his stomach churned, with the smell of metal seeping into his nostrils. Because he realized It wasn’t just sand that floated around, it was all sand. I was able to know that because of my memories in Lantua.

“Mister, why is that old man choosing black sand like that?”

That day, for some reason, Donard had time to walk around town together. What I found was a smithy, where an old man put black sand in a basket-like object and lifted it up so that it came out through the gap.

“That one? Are you talking about private seasons?”
“It’s private season?”
“Yes, because iron usually exists in powder form.”
“…What are you talking about? Isn’t the armor you’re wearing made of iron?”

The first time he heard it, he tapped his armour, wondering what he was talking about, and Donnar let out a chuckle.

“It’s because it’s already been refined and melted. Look at it.”

At the smithy he pointed out to look again, the old man put the iron he had picked out into a large kiln, and when he took it out after a while, he saw that it had melted into a red glowing liquid.

“Most of the iron we use is made by melting and solidifying powdered iron like that.”

Donar said that the reason why iron coins are more valuable than other currencies is that sand iron, which is difficult to refine, can be used for various purposes in a state that has already been refined.

“Especially in countries where the refining technology of iron sand is not good, iron is more welcome.”
“Then where can I get iron sand?”
“It’s everywhere, but it’s mostly found in the outer wilderness.”
“Wilderness?”

Usher couldn’t understand what he was saying.

“I’ve never seen anything like black sand before, have I?”

If it was a wilderness, I had the experience of walking all day with him, but I had never seen sand so black. Then Donard stroked his hair roughly.

“If you look at it for a moment. Remember that the wilderness was mostly red? That’s because of iron.”
“But iron sand is black?”
“I don’t know why, but they say it looks red in its natural state. Alchemists would know that.”

As the old man waited after pouring molten iron into the mold, the sight of the iron becoming one was amazing, so he watched for a while and then asked him again.

“Then how do you collect iron sand?”
“Do you remember Buyuseok?”
“If it’s a floating stone… A buoy?”
“Yes, because it has the property of attracting iron. If you use it, it is not a task to collect that much.”

Then Donnar opened his mouth as if he had remembered.

“If there is a guy who collects iron sand and carries it around like sand, be careful.

When the time came, he remembered Donnar’s voice talking about making his own weapon in a place like that, and the smooth feel of the leather of the gauntlet stroking his hair. He bit the bandage with his teeth.

– Jjiik!
“Huh, no way.”

Seeing this, Gideon looked at him in surprise, but Usher didn’t care and covered his nose and mouth with the bandage he had torn from his arm. Like this, he couldn’t fall in vain. If he just collapsed here, how would he look at Donar and Ya Karp, who had taught him? Usher made sure there were no foreign objects in the bandages that were completely tied, and immediately rushed towards Gideon.

-Shoot it!

However, before he could approach, a whirlwind of sand blocks his way. Seeing that it was white, it was not private, but it was enough to block his path. He tried to slip away, only to find that there was already a wall of sand in all directions. Not only. Instantly, the feeling of gripping his ankle hurriedly withdrew his foot, and sure enough, the sand was trying to grab his foot. In a situation where you can’t go anywhere, you hear Gideon’s voice outside.

“Certainly, it’s hard to see it as a simple stroke. But give up. Even this is just a simple trick for a wizard.”

Usher thought, biting his lip. No way out was seen. All sides are blocked by sand, and even now, if you stop even a little bit, the sand tries to grab his ankle. He’s thinking about how he can get out of here.

“…You guys didn’t give up?”
“Ugh!?”

A chilly sensation running down your spine along with Gideon’s voice. With a different pressure than before, Usher realized that it was to live.

– Shiiik! Chaeeng!
“Knife…?”

At the same time, as I hurriedly raised my shield at the sharp sound of a gong in my ear, I lowered it with a sense of being blocked, and the blade was glimpsed. The reason I couldn’t see it clearly was because for some reason the knife had turned into black powder and scattered. He thought that if he hadn’t checked right away, he might have been attacked by something invisible.

-Shhh!
“It’s great!”

This time, instead of a shield, I swung my rapier towards the place where I heard the sound of flying.

-Chaeeng!

As he checked the shape against his sword, Usher could tell it was indeed a sword. However, it was no ordinary sword. A dagger with a blunt yet strange shape resembling the scales of a dragon. But this time too, it quickly turned into black powder and scattered. But that’s for a while.

“Yakaf must have had a reason. It’s definitely excellent.”

I heard Gideon’s voice again, and at the same time I saw countless blades whirling in front of my eyes. The swords that flew in one by one gathered like a group to form scales, and the scales formed a wall of blades. Numerous scales whirl around him like a school of fish. Usher realized that if he stretched out his hand just a little, the whirlwind blade would tear it apart.

“Give up even now. I don’t want to trample on buds like you.”

Gideon was saying that, but Usher, for some reason, didn’t feel like giving up even at this moment. Still can’t see a way From the way the blades waved, it was clearly seen in the cracks, but it was impossible not to know that it was to aim for prey that would unknowingly get in between them.

– Jjaeng!
“Ugh!”

Just in case, he stabbed the rapier through the gap, but the impact struck his arm instead. All he could do was not let go of his rapier.

“Is it over?”

Kayaba muttered as he watched. She did better than expected, but nonetheless she was not supposed to be. Gideon has buried countless knights with that skill. Rather, it was not enough to praise Usher for letting him use that technique. The other paladins were also nodding their heads as if they couldn’t help it. Now was the time to really think about stopping them.

“…May there be!”

A distraught voice heard from the whirlwind of sand. The moment Kayaba widened her eyes, a hole opened in the sand wall, and Usher jumped out through it.

“What?!”

In the midst of everyone’s astonishment, Usher runs toward Gideon who was standing still and stabs his rapier.

– Kaang!

Although it was blocked by the sword he pulled out, everyone’s eyes were on the place where Usher protruded. There, sand and blades were blocked and scattered based on the cross shield that was almost stuck in the ground. As if everything was blocked by a shield.

“…Magic? That kid?!”

And it was Abner who realized the ideal faster than anyone else. If it was magic that could be blocked so easily just by using a shield, countless knights wouldn’t have been killed by Gideon for nothing. When I turn my head again, I can see that the shield has not been able to block all the swords, and the blades are deeply pierced into my limbs, and blood is flowing. There was Usher, who was aiming at Gideon without letting go of his sword until the end, even though his body was trembling with pain.