MTM 88

… Bam!

As the tightly shut door swung open, the eyes of the swarming nobles were instantly drawn to it. The blinding light wasn’t from the sun. It was from the countless men in silver armor who appeared.

The helmets that completely concealed their faces gleamed silver, and their breastplates, though pristine, bore the marks of countless battles. The black cloak that covered the heavy scabbard at their waist was worn and torn in places. It seemed to be a testament to their survival in this harsh, life-threatening environment, a testament to their dignity.

At the head of the group stood a knight adorned with a red feather on his helmet.

“Who… who are you…?”

The old gentleman, who had rushed to open the door first, asked with a bewildered expression.

The red-feathered knight slowly lowered his head. His gaze, gleaming through the narrow eye sockets of his helmet, pierced the old gentleman.

“Is this the place called <The Black Crown> ?”

He’d assumed it was a man, given his tall build, but it was a woman’s voice.

“Ye-Yes, but why…?”

“Ah!”

Before the old gentleman could even finish speaking, someone gasped and shouted.

“Look, look at that…!”

Everyone’s eyes turned to the knights’ waists. There, they found swords engraved with a golden wing symbol. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary sword, but the golden engraving shone faintly, as if radiating a divine aura.

“It’s the Royal Knights!”

Someone shouted, startling everyone.

“What? The Royal Knights?!”

Those unfamiliar with the Royal Knights’ identity murmured in bewilderment, but those familiar with their reputation were not. The old gentleman’s face instantly darkened.

“Damn it…!”

The old gentleman instantly recognized their identities, he hurriedly tried to hide among the nobles. But one of the knights reached out with a lightning-quick hand and grabbed the back of his neck. The old gentleman was lifted into the air with incredible ease.

“L-let go of me! Do you know who I am?!  Even if you’re the Royal Knights, you won’t get away with this kind of rudeness to a noble…!”

Clack.

The old gentleman was speechless as the red-feathered knight took a step toward him. Though the knight held no weapon, her mere step felt like an invisible force was pressing down on him, a powerful pressure.

“If you cooperate, I’ll spare your life.”

The voice was polite, but the meaning behind it sent a chill down everyone’s spine.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

“Hup, hup….”

Harto tore down the wall and used the sand scattered on the floor to move the caged creatures out, one by one. Occasionally, he would blast away any troublemakers with a water cannon.

As time passed, he should have grown tired, but instead, he felt a surge of energy. This was all thanks to the spirit stone. He buried the spirit stone deep within his body. Perhaps because he was made of slime, the power emanating from the spirit stone quickly spread throughout his entire body.

“Haa.”

Harto took a deep breath and puffed out his cheeks. Then, he blew a long stream of fire beyond the bars.

In an instant, the flames ignited, forming a wall-like structure. He had drawn a boundary line to prevent any troublemakers from easily crossing.

“Is this enough?”

Harto shook off his soft hands with a sense of satisfaction. Now that everything he could do was complete, he turned toward the stage to help Ser.

Clank.

“……?”

At that moment, a noise erupted from the mess of materials, then silenced. Harto, deliberately feigning ignorance, slowly crawled in the direction of the sound.

Crash!

In an instant, an orc jumped out from between the haphazardly piled materials and charged at him at high speed. Startled, Harto instinctively raised his hand to fire a water cannon, but hesitated. The orc hadn’t charged at him, but had simply brushed past him.

The orc swiftly hurled himself over the collapsed wall and vanished from sight in an instant.

“…….”

Harto didn’t even think about chasing after him. He simply stared in the direction he had disappeared. More importantly, the unpleasant words the orc had uttered as he passed him lingered in his mind.

“You’re neither a monster nor a spirit, you are a freak…”

Even when others asked him what he was, he wasn’t this upset…For some reason, his heart was heavier now than ever.

“Aagh!”

At that moment, a loud scream erupted from the stage.

“Ah, Ser! Reina!”

It took longer than he’d expected. Harto quickly climbed the wall toward the stage.

“I hope they’re both safe…”

As he nervously entered the stage, wary of his surroundings, he bumped into something.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

Hit back, Harto stretched out his arms and legs to brace himself against the wall. He looked up and saw Ser had collapsed, knocked against Harto’s soft, slimy body.

“Ser, Ser!”

A panicked Harto was about to grab Ser and pull him up. “Clack, clack.” Longs spears blocked Harto in a X formation.

“Huh…!”

Harto, stunned by the unexpected turn of events, quickly scanned his surroundings. Knights clad in silver armor from head to toe stood before him.

‘W-what is this…? Are they, uh, people related to the auction?’

Harto couldn’t tell if the knights who had suddenly appeared were friend or foe. He steeled himself, ready to attack immediately if only he could ensure Ser and Reina’s safety.

“Everyone, calm down and stand back. No amount of teaching will ever be enough to tell friend from foe.”

At that moment, a strange woman’s voice rang out. At the same time, a knight wearing a red-feathered helmet stepped forward before Harto. As she took a step forward, the knights blocking Harto all withdrew their spears.

‘Who is this… person? Is she the leader of these knights?’

Harto blinked, examining his opponent. While fortunately no immediate combat broke out, the uncertainty lingered, leaving him feeling uneasy.

“Is this the ‘Harto’ you spoke of?”

The red-feathered knight asked Ser, who had risen after receiving assistance. Ser seemed momentarily surprised to see Harto transformed into a slime-like creature, but then nodded quietly, looking into his gentle blue eyes.

“I see.”

With a short reply, the red-feathered knight removed her helmet.

“Huh…”

The first thing that caught his eye was her blood-red hair. Turquoise eyes sparkled through her sweat-dampened short hair. And her bronzed face, lightly freckled, gave her a commanding look.

She stood before Harto, helmet in hand, and gave him a knightly bow.

“My subordinates were rude. I apologize on behalf of the knights.”

As the knight knelt and apologized, the knights following her also knelt in unison. The fact that they moved in unison without a command was a testament to their strong bond.

“Uh, uh… I, uh… It’s fine…!”

Harto, flustered, swayed, unsure of what to do. Receiving such an unexpectedly polite apology, he wished he could show his respect in human form. But now, with nothing to wear, he simply shrank down to a smaller size and wrung his hands.

“Uh, by any chance… Your name, sir…?”

Harto hesitated, unable to ask directly, and whispered to Ser. The knight straightened and answered immediately.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Isadora Grenhardt, Commander of the Royal Knights order, the Golden Wings.”

“…!”

At that moment, Harto stopped waving his hands and took a deep breath.

‘I-Isadora Grenhardt…!’

It was an unforgettable name. She was a comrade of Ares Carseon, a prominent figure in the original novel, and a strategist who played a key role in the destruction of Hartiros.