How to Live as a Knight After the Ending-Chapter 515

~A dark underground waterway~

A place where light barely penetrates, humid and musty-smelling, was invaded by a group of people. Heavily armed, they were special ranger units belonging to the Tirna city government.

Equipped with state-of-the-art gear, they communicated in real-time through radios.

[Crackle. Sector confirmed.]

[Bravo. There's nothing here.]

[Charlie. Same here.]

While reports of finding nothing continued.

[Crackle. This is Foxtrot. Suspicious structure discovered. I repeat. Foxtrot, suspicious structure discovered.]

There's no way such a thing would just appear in a place like this underground. The ranger unit instinctively knew they had finally found their target.

"This is Alpha. To Foxtrot. Don't approach immediately, assess the situation. The structure?"

[This is Foxtrot. Understood. Currently observing, the structure appears to be a wall built with bricks.]

"Bricks?"

Definitely suspicious. There's no way such a structure would just be built underground. It must be there to protect something. And naturally, it wouldn't be ordinary bricks.

According to the briefing they received, this incident was the work of the Grand Witch Mother Goose. The most frightening characteristic of Mother Goose is that she can continuously create familiars.

The familiars she creates possess all sorts of bizarre abilities. It was safe to say that each familiar wielded witchcraft.

If a familiar was involved this time too, they had to assume they were dealing with at least a high-risk grade witch.

'And on our side, we have the optimal support for dealing with witches.'

They're listening to our conversation too, so they'll move right away. When they arrived at the scene, the ranger team members were gathered.

It was a large underground cavity. One of the specific areas where the maze-like complex underground waterways occasionally converged into one.

In that place where countless discarded trash from the city should have been piled up, a single structure stood tall.

It was indeed as Foxtrot had said. It was a citadel made of bricks. The countless scrap metal and trash that should have been there were absent, and only a citadel made of bricks stood tall in the center—it was quite bizarre.

"That clearly looks like a witch's doing."

One of the ranger members muttered. Surely the Sea Dragon's egg would be inside that citadel.

The problem was how to break through it.

Unless the familiar was a fool, there's no way it would just set that up. If it was made with witchcraft, it would have some corresponding ability. Even if not.

'The one who made that might be hiding nearby.'

That's why the ranger unit focused on searching the surroundings rather than immediately attacking the citadel. Fortunately, they didn't sense any suspicious presence. Perhaps even the one who created that citadel was hiding inside it.

They sent a signal to the team on the surface. Listening to the situation outside, it seemed the wind was gradually getting stronger. It was proof that the enraged Sea Dragon had approached the vicinity of Tirna.

Which meant.

'The Sea Dragon blocking operation has failed.'

Tirna's massive military power had been deployed to stop the Sea Dragon. However, the Sea Dragon wrapped in a typhoon, that gigantic natural force, was a monster that could destroy a nation by itself.

The fortunate thing was that the typhoon that had currently reached the vicinity of Tirna seemed to have stopped in place, blocked by something.

But they didn't know when it would move again. Because the typhoon's power was too strong, even though it had stopped nearby, it was dropping massive rain, wind, and hail all around.

The city's outskirts had already issued disaster warnings and evacuation orders.

'Now the only remaining method is to somehow return the egg to the Sea Dragon.'

They had to think rationally. That's why the ranger unit didn't recklessly touch the unidentified brick structure. At that moment, footsteps were heard from behind.

"You all did well."

A woman who looked fragile, like looking at transparent glass, appeared wearing a white martial arts uniform. The rangers recognized her and immediately cleared the way.

Their role was to find the hidden Sea Dragon's egg. Any combat that might occur afterward wasn't their concern.

What was needed now was a specialist in witch battles. The most effective way to deal with witches is with other witches.

The woman who just appeared was the same. The witch, Cinderella.

"From now on, it's my turn."

She already had glass slippers on both hands. She would break that brick citadel before her eyes. Cinderella took her stance with that thought, then launched a straight punch right there.

Fwoom! Her fist, covered in thick calluses, left a faint afterimage as it disappeared. A massive shockwave burst through the air with a piercing sound.

Thoom!

The brick citadel rang loudly. The ranger unit couldn't hide their bewilderment at the sight.

'A hollow sound? That sound came from hitting bricks?'

Wasn't it like striking a lump of iron? Even Cinderella was equally surprised.

'It withstood it?'

It was a straight punch she threw with considerable force. She even wore glass slippers on her fists. Yet the brick citadel didn't crumble.

No, rather.

"Get back!"

At Cinderella's cry, the ranger unit moved swiftly. They scattered, getting as far away from the citadel as possible. Cinderella did the same.

Thanks to that quick judgment, there were no casualties.

Kwang!

An invisible shockwave burst from the brick citadel and struck the ground. The earth hollowed out as if forming a crater. Cinderella, who had escaped the damage range, frowned.

"Don't tell me it just returned the impact of my straight punch back at me?"

A brick citadel that returns external impacts. Cinderella felt insulted. She thought it wouldn't be easy, but being blocked like this was a different matter.

However, there was one more element that made Cinderella frown.

"Hey. You've been sending sticky glances for a while now, so why don't you just reveal yourself?"

The ranger unit didn't understand what Cinderella was saying. The answer came from elsewhere.

"Oh my, oh my. I was happily enjoying this situation as an audience member, but what am I supposed to do if you call me onto the stage like this?"

Something that had been hiding on the roof, which could be called the top of the citadel, appeared. It was a werewolf made of black and gray fur.

"Could that be Delford?"

"No. It's different."

At first, they thought of the werewolf Delford. But it was different.

Delford had a sharp impression and a sturdy, robust physique. He wrapped that in a form-fitting suit. On the other hand, the werewolf that appeared now was different. Its snout was long and large as if it had jumped out of a cartoon that children would watch, and its body proportions were quite irregular.

Even its grinning smile was quite eerie.

Cinderella, who recognized it, frowned.

"You. I wondered who you were, but you're the [Wolf]."

Since ancient times, wolves have always appeared as villains in fairy tale stories. And that wolf was a familiar created by combining all such notions into one.

It was one of the few highest-risk entities that the Grand Witch Mother Goose had specially created.

The Wolf laughed with a "kekeke" at Cinderella's words.

"Well, well. To think you recognize me. I'm so honored I don't know what to do with myself."

"The fact that you're guarding this place means the Sea Dragon's egg is inside, right?"

"That's right. What's there to hide? I'm here to prevent you people from taking the Sea Dragon's egg."

The Wolf didn't bother hiding it. Not because there was no need to tell lies that would obviously be discovered anyway. It meant it didn't matter even if he revealed and told them everything.

He had endless confidence that he could definitely stop anyone who came to this place. And the Wolf's power was capable of directly putting that into practice.

"But you made a big mistake. You should have finished the job when I was just watching. Now that you've called me onto the stage like this, I have no choice but to play my corresponding role."

In other words, he would fight in earnest. Cinderella frowned. Bullshit. He must have been planning to ambush them when he saw an opportunity. As expected of a very dangerous familiar, she had already received information about him in advance.

The Wolf is despicable. He likes to deceive, trick, and torment others. After mocking and toying with his opponent like that.

'In the end, he devours them.'

The number of innocent lives that had entered that wolf's belly was too countless to count.

"Kekeke. Your eyes are quite heated. Don't be like that. I have a job to do too. Now, shall we go?"

The Wolf said that, then plunged his hand deep into his long, large snout.

Gweeek! With a nauseating sound, the Wolf pulled something out of his mouth. It was pigs with pale skin. They weren't ordinary pigs. They stood on two legs and even wore clothes.

Cinderella's eyes widened. She realized what those pigs were.

"Now. Cute little pigs? Do what you need to do."

The two pigs moved at the Wolf's command.

Rummmble. The underground cavity caused a massive tremor. New structures began to rise around the citadel standing tall with bricks.

One was a pile made of straw, and the other was a structure made of wood.

'That's the Wolf's most troublesome ability.'

Cinderella retreated. The most dangerous ability of the familiar [Wolf] was. Using those he consumed and devoured as his subordinates.

And one of the incidents that made that wolf most famous was the tale of devouring all three of the Little Pig Brothers.

"Everyone fall back!"

Cinderella shouted and retreated. She was well aware of the abilities of the Three Little Pig Brothers. Straw, wood, and bricks. Sturdy walls made of three materials.

It was a very dangerous technique that created a maze beyond a citadel and devoured the people trapped inside as they were. Cinderella couldn't break through with her power alone.

Perhaps because the Wolf knew this too, he stood on top of the brick citadel and laughed madly.

"Kehehehe! Hey! Is this all? This is too boring! Why don't you call that great knight over? Oh, is he too busy fighting the Sea Dragon to come? That's quite regrettable!"

The Wolf thoroughly mocked his opponents. These guys who came with only this level of force to deal with him were quite arrogant.

Of course, more troops would swarm in later. But by then it would be too late. The Sea Dragon would already be destroying Tirna.

"Kuhahaha! All you can do is watch your proud golden city crumble! The destruction of civilization will arrive, and the old era that Mother so desires will open again! When that time comes, look forward to it! You vermin humans will never be able to raise your heads again, just like in those days!"

At that moment, a red flash flew from afar. The Wolf narrowed his eyes and turned his head to the side. What grazed past his cheek was a bullet.

The Wolf smoothly ran his hand over the wound on his cheek. A vicious smile formed on his lips.

"Well, well. I didn't think you would come."

Another witch was beside Cinderella, who had retreated far away. A red hood pulled over her head, and a red cloak so large it reached her toes. And a matchlock gun aimed this way with blazing eyes.

"Rotkäppchen. No, Red Riding Hood. I knew you'd come."

"Your nauseating stench was resonating."

Witch Tea Party member witch, Rotkäppchen. Also known as Red Riding Hood had quite a bitter history with the Wolf.

"Oh. Are you still trying to avenge your grandmother? You should be grateful to me instead. Thanks to me, you awakened your witch factor and became a proper witch! Kekeke!"

Rotkäppchen didn't answer. She just silently loaded bullets. The Wolf ridiculed her outwardly, but inwardly he was quite irritated.

Of all things, Rotkäppchen was the worst match against the Wolf. Her gun, born with the ability of a hunter, was extremely effective at slaying beasts.

In a head-on fight, he would definitely lose. Regardless of the power gap, that's how bad their compatibility was.

"But if it's just holding out, it doesn't matter."

The Wolf grinned. He had brought out the Three Little Pig Brothers in preparation for this moment. Not stopping there, the Wolf continued to vomit something from his mouth. Things mixed with saliva and drool poured out in a rush. Soon, things that rose up like puppet dolls stared at Cinderella and Rotkäppchen with unfocused eyes.

"You will never be able to take the Sea Dragon's egg."

Toward the Wolf sneering like that, Rotkäppchen mocked back.

"Right. We won't be able to take it, we won't."

"What?"

The Wolf's puzzlement was brief.

"Hmm. To think I'd have to bring this."

Something faintly appeared in the air, and Seren Gracia, holding the Sea Dragon's egg, revealed herself.