The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 227



Only Krnovel

Episode 227 Reaper of Silver Mirror Lake (6)

Although the ‘star that illuminates the water’ fell, Untana did not regain peace. There were still 1,000 holy knights and 1,000 crusaders remaining in the castle.

Having lost both their captain and their deputy commander, they began to run wild. In order to find the culprit who had murdered their leader, to condemn the non-believers, and sometimes simply to vent their anger and anxiety, they captured, tortured, and massacred civilians indiscriminately.

But the tyranny ended in just one night.

“Soldiers forward!! Remillion’s golden blessings will be granted to the brave!!”

“The master of all diseases who knows no defeat blesses our spears and axes!! Ah-tal-la-!!”

“Huh… … ?”

“Uh uh… … ?”

None other than the joint attack of the Chassa Army and the Indomitable Army.

The Delutana sect, the warriors of the army released from the Silver Mirror Lake, and the Untana sect, released from the waters of the moat, joined forces to attack the Holy Army. Although they were outnumbered, the darkness of the night and the suddenness of the situation favored the Allied Forces. The Holy Army, beaten like a rabble, chose to retreat outside the castle.

It wasn’t a very good choice. A flood came in before we could even cross the drawbridge.

Kugwagwagwagwagwagwa – !!!

“Ughhhhhh!! What is this… … gurgling… … .”

“T, run away… … Ugh! Pugururururut… … .”

Not summer, not the rainy season, but a flood in the middle of winter? It was a disaster that could not have been predicted. More than half of the crusaders drowned or froze in the sudden wave, and the half who barely survived suffered from extreme hypothermia, rendering the entire crusade unable to fight.

Rumors of the strange disaster quickly spread. Citizens had a heated discussion about the cause. That an archmage came from the magic tower, that the god of heaven punished him, that the god of silver mirror lake was angry… … Most opinions boiled down to a supernatural miracle.

In fact, this was neither a punishment nor a judgment. It’s just that someone took water from the moat through a distortion hole and flooded it.

… … Of course, from the perspective of an ordinary citizen, that too was no different from a supernatural miracle.

One way or another, Untana finally escaped the invasion of the empire. Even though the entire road in front of the castle gate was completely frozen… … It wasn’t that big of a problem. Compared to the crisis in which the city was destroyed and its citizens almost exterminated.

And as the leadership of Untana and the refugee column of Delutana make contact, the truth finally begins to surface.

The truth is that the hero who defeated Arch Paladin, brought down the Star of Elgar, and saved the city by drowning the Holy Army was none other than a certain merchant.

*

3rd floor of the Untana Consul’s Residence, Consul’s office.

It was an evening with a sharp wind that made the tip of my nose fall. The streets were a mess as they had not been properly maintained. Nevertheless, the area in front of the Councilor’s Residence was crowded with countless people.

“Untana’s savior!! Untana’s savior!!”

“The ‘God of Silver Mirror Lake’ protects us!!”

“Glory to Untana and the Lake of Silver Mirrors! Doom to the dogs of Elgar, who deserve to freeze to death!”

“May the ‘Grim Reaper of Silver Mirror Lake’ receive Remillion’s golden blessings!!”

As a northern region, the Untana people were not very expressive of their emotions. So, it is extremely unusual for people to be as excited as the arena audience who saw the champion like this.

Untana’s counselor, who was looking out the window, stuck out his tongue.

“It’s been 18 years since I took office here, and this is the first time I’ve seen them do something like that. These guys were suspicious of freezing the blood in their bodies every winter… … . Oh, of course, when I think of the great feats the Duke has accomplished, I also want to go out into the streets and chant along with him.”

“Uh, heh, uhm… … . no. Well, it wasn’t that big of a deal… … Hum hum.”

The customer sitting on the leather chair scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

A shabby look, a dirty goatee, and an unsightly appearance that doesn’t look like a great person at all. However, Lee Ja’s feat had been clearly proven through numerous testimonies. The counselor drew the curtains on the window and bowed deeply to express his gratitude once again.

“Thank you again for your great devotion and service, Lord Duncan. Without you, Untana would have suffered the shame of being the first city to be conquered by the Empire. You are truly a hero worthy of the title ‘Savior of Untana.’”

“Hehe… … Oh, no. Well, I was just trying to save my family… … .”

Duncan’s mouth widened. It was my first time being treated so openly as a hero, so it was hard to show off in a polite way.

“Oh, by the way, Councilor. I think there was another title for me besides that… … .”

“Ah, you mean ‘Reaper of the Silver Mirror Lake’?”

“Yes, yes, why do they call me that?”

The counselor briefly tells the legend of the Shinigami who eats the drowned under Lake Silver Mirror.

Duncan’s face suddenly became pale. The councilor misunderstood this to mean that it was unpleasant, and added that people here also consider the ‘Death God’ to be a guardian deity that protects them from foreign forces. Actually, Duncan was just scared by the eerie legend… … .

After praising Duncan for his deeds several more times, the councillor promised him a proper reward: a medal from the Delutana council, and the courtesy and protocol befitting a hero.

“From now on, the members of the Duke and Wheeled family will be treated with the highest level of courtesy in Untana, no less than that of the chairman of the council. When you leave, we will lend you the finest steed among the horses owned by the council, and we will dispatch a rider and a military band to see you off to your destination.”

At that moment, the peddler’s joy exceeded its maximum limit. To the point where I felt a bit of a burden.

“Ugh, no, you don’t need to… … . The city is still a mess so it might be hard to give you anything, so I’d like to just say thank you… … .”

“No, you deserve to be treated this way. And although it is small, we contacted the Council of Ministers and offered a reward of about 5 million Luden… … .”

“… … But since you say so much, it wouldn’t be right to refuse! Untana is your second home from now on, so if you have any trouble, please come to Duncan Wheeled anytime!”

“ha ha ha…….”

The conversation then shifted to more practical matters. The counselor lowered his voice and spoke seriously.

“As you know, the paladin you defeated was not an ordinary person. Decagram is a ‘star’ that is evaluated as the most important core force in the Empire. “Now that such a person has been defeated, the Empire and the Elgar Church will identify him as a person of interest and will do whatever it takes to punish him.”

“……yes?”

“Of course, since you yourself possess superhuman strength and wisdom, it will be fine… … but it will be a different story for your relatives. So, for the time being, I think it would be best for you to be especially careful so that no unpleasant things happen to your wife and children.”

Duncan opened his mouth in confusion.

This was an unexpected aftermath. What you did to save your family ended up putting them in greater danger… … . No, in fact, it was natural since he killed the highest-ranking paladin… … . My heart was pounding hard, and my breathing became fast like a fish on land.

Nevertheless, I was able to control my embarrassment much faster than before.

Killing the ‘star that illuminates the water’ was inevitable. He’s been tracking Kadim and himself all this time, and he’s been holding his family and many other people hostage.

I recalled the advice that the Great Warrior of Atala had given me. Those who do not fight will gain nothing. Instead of wasting my time regretting and worrying unnecessarily, I decided to thoroughly prepare myself and eliminate any future troubles so that no one would ever touch my family or my lord.

Duncan, who has grown physically, mentally, and ‘spiritually’, makes a firm resolution.

The counselor must have guessed what she was thinking by looking at her expression, and for a moment a calm smile appeared on her face as she added her advice.

“The threat that the Elga Order could use would most likely be another ‘star’. In fact, the other Decagram knights would probably have some way to deal with it. However, there is one person… … It would be best not to deal with him at all.”

“… …Who, who are you talking about?”

“The second seat of the decagram, the ‘star that swallows darkness.’ If you encounter him, run away without fail, regardless of the situation. According to the testimonies of those who witnessed him, he was on a different ‘level’ than any other holy knight… no, any human… He gave off an aura that was truly beyond the ordinary.”

Duncan brushed it off until then, thinking, ‘Ah, this counselor has really good information.’ But he couldn’t ignore the next words that came out.

“And please refrain from using the distortion hole for the time being.”

“……yes?”

“Just because it’s night doesn’t mean you’re completely safe from the watchful eye. “This time, I just passed by heavenly luck, but if you continue to use the holy laws of darkness so openly, it will be difficult to avoid ‘heavenly punishment.’”

“… … !!”

Wow!

Duncan jumped up like a spring in his seat. He approached with surprising agility and thrust the dagger of the World Tree. The councilor calmly placed something on the table and raised his hands.

“There is no need to be alarmed. Just look at this and you will know who I am.”

The object he held out was none other than the ‘Silver Coin of a Ruined Nation.’

A relic that proves belonging to the Forgotten God Church. Soon the counselor closed his eyes and covered his face with both hands, making a gesture corresponding to the sign of the cross.

“Ah, Miss Ilenia asked me to tell you that she was sorry for leaving without saying hello last time.”

“… … .”

No, even archaeologists at universities think so… Being a counselor with 18 years of experience is a fake job?

Duncan looked at the fake counselor he met after the fake archaeologist with a dumbfounded expression for a long time.

*

When everything was settled and it was time to leave Untana.

The high-ranking family members who had fled from Delutana gathered again in front of the Silver Mirror Lake.

The wife of a three-term congressman, the daughter of a prominent family with a long history, the children of a wealthy family that controlled the economy of Delutana, and the daughter of the chairman of the council were all in trouble. Those who had spent their entire lives kneeling before others all knelt down in front of a man standing by the lake.

He was a small and poor-looking man, but no one dared to rebel against him. The author was the highest-ranking paladin of the empire, a hero who defeated Elgar’s ‘Star’.

If they had only heard about it, they would have dismissed it as a groundless rumor. However, they were trapped in the lake and had watched the entire battle that took place on the lakeside from beginning to end. Therefore, they could not help but know clearly that the author was a superhuman strong man who could even break the ‘stars’ and that he could slaughter them all alone.

In fact, if there is nothing to complain about, all you have to do is praise the man and please him. But they were in a position where there was too much to hold on to.

That he indulged in luxury and pleasure during the war, that he constantly ignored and insulted the man’s wife, Mrs. Wheeled, and most of all… … Circumstances in which everyone was trying to infiltrate the empire, centered on Mrs. Bolgar-Louis, were discovered.

That is, if the interest is so inclined, it would not be impossible to indict them all for treason or execute them here on the spot.

“… … .”

“… … .”

“… … .”

All the noble ladies who had been talking non-stop like tentacles remained dead silent. Madame Volga Louise, who had always been at the center of society, became as isolated as her island. As the wait got longer, her blood dried up and her legs started getting cramps.

Duncan glanced at the haggard lady and her children and said.

“that… … Everyone, please wake up first.”

““… … .””

“Everyone, please take care of yourselves and gather again. “Still, they are people who dominate the Delutana social world, so it’s a pity to see them like that.”

Shocked, I took a moment to look at Duncan, who was giving me a look full of sympathy, and Julia, who was standing next to him.

All the ladies and their children rushed to their feet and looked for their attendants and maids.

“Alexei, Alexei, where are you! “Please bring me the dress and brooch I brought!”

“Marie, come here! Where did you put my perfume? Serien, you chose the earrings and necklace… … .”

“Rubra, where did that girl go… … .”

I couldn’t figure out what was going on. Why would you ask those who insulted your wife and plotted treason to come and get dressed up? Didn’t you know what had happened?

However, everyone agreed on this one thought: that the man would only show mercy to the women who were as beautiful and elegant as possible.

“What? You left all those dresses in Untana? Gyaaaaaaah!! Are you crazy, you?”

“Madame Mont de Med! “I haven’t even touched that rouge since a while ago, so if you’re not going to use it, please lend it to me!”

“I’m not going to use it! I don’t have enough to use, so put your hands away and go get it somewhere else!!”

“Madame Cesar!! This is my ring, right? “Why does your wife’s maid have this?”

The lakeside was in chaos with the noble ladies who were talking evil. It’s been a year of decorating myself, keeping others in check, and dressing up like I’m at war.

Finally, the flowers of society, braiding their hair, spraying perfume, wearing dresses and accessories, and trying desperately to look presentable, finally regrouped at the lakeside. With an artificial smile to impress the man who held onto his life.

Of course, the ladies’ guess was wrong. Duncan had heard everything they had done, and he had no desire to show mercy to those who had dared to disrespect and insult his family.

“Everyone, have you finished dressing up?”

““Hohoho, yeah!””

“Oh my, everyone looks so clean and nice! Now, everyone, please jump into the lake without exception.”

“”……yes?””

The noble ladies are frozen in coldness, doubting their ears.

In the middle of winter, after trying my best to decorate it, I can’t believe it falls into the water? It was absurd. However, Duncan pointed to the ice-cold water and spoke again in a voice colder than ice.

“The three who enter last will have their entire family accused of treason.”

““… … !!!””

Soon the noble ladies began to run to the water’s edge, risking their lives.

She tore up a dress worth a million ruden and threw away shoes worth 100,000 ruden. He grabbed the hair of the person ahead and straddles those following. Forgetting his face and reputation, he threw himself into cold water that would make him sick just by dipping his toes in it. Breathless screams and screams rang out here and there.

“Whoa!! Whoaaaaah!! Save me!! Save me!!”

“Gyaaaaaaah!! Ah, slap, slap, slap… .”

Dunsen blankly stared at the scene of the chaos, then quietly grabbed Julia’s sleeve.

“Mom, those ladies… … are strange. Last time, you said it was cold even if you just stayed inside the tent, but now it’s so cold and they’re swimming in the water… … .”

“… … That’s right, Dunsen. “They are very strange ladies.”

After a while, the ladies and their children crawled out of the lake, shivering. They had no trace of their grooming, and looked like rats on the verge of death. In particular, the three who had entered the water the latest looked as if they had already suffered a heart attack.

Still, this was a cheap punishment for treason. The surviving noblewomen breathed a sigh of relief, wiping themselves dry before they froze and wrapping themselves in fur cloaks.

Duncan took the towels and capes one by one and threw them away. She then smiled brightly and said.

“Ugh, aren’t you all very cold?”

““Yes, yes… … .””

“Okay then, to warm up, let’s run to Delutana like this! “Once again, the three people who arrive last will have their entire family accused of treason!”

Duncan immediately runs ahead, as if to prove that it wasn’t a lie. The ladies felt a greater chill than when they fell into cold water.

I looked back at Yulia as if begging for mercy, but all I got in return was the same disregard they gave me. The ladies and their children had no choice but to run barefoot down the dirt road. Julia and Dunsen watched the retribution march for a while and then took a leisurely step forward.

But just before leaving, Dunsen suddenly pointed to the lakeside.

“Uh, mom? “Is there a woman who hasn’t come out of the water yet?”

“huh? “What do you mean, Dunsen?”

“No, there’s a shadow over there… … Huh? It disappeared? There was definitely something there just a moment ago… … .”

“… … .”

Dunsen tilts his head while pointing at the water.

Above it, there was only a trace of passing clouds. Julia thought she must have seen it wrong, so she gently stroked her son’s head and walked away. The warriors of the army and the soldiers of the Chassa Army also took their steps, and the procession of refugees finally began their journey to return home in earnest, following the hero who saved Untana.

Just like that, all the guests who came to Iljang Lake left.

Beneath the ice that sparkled like a silver mirror, a stain hidden in the middle of the cloud shadow disappeared into the deep water.