Chapter 145. Anything that Breaks and Reattaches Becomes Stronger

“Guuulp~.”

Oops.

Considering the setting, I tried to restrain myself.

As I glanced around with an awkward expression, I saw figures staring at me with eyes full of astonishment.

Even the Dragon Sword Duke was in that state.

“I’ve seen many who have evolved in strange ways, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone who looks like a human eat this much. Did you undergo an evolution focused on your stomach?”

“Ah, hahaha….”

There’s one more in Drasen… no, now there are two more.

I couldn’t bring myself to say anything and just laughed.

The servants who had been staring blankly at him finally began to clear the plates piled up like a mountain on the table.

Tadadadadak.

They moved as quickly as trained knights, glancing at me from time to time.

Was it my imagination that their gazes seemed filled with fear?

“…Ahem. It was a hearty meal befitting a young hero. Did it suit your palate?”

Marquis Deort belatedly spoke up with an awkward laugh, but the Dragon Sword Duke immediately snorted.

“Hearty my foot. If that’s hearty, is your head balding heartily too?”

…Does this old man have a grudge against bald people or something?

I felt sorry for Marquis Deort, who was trembling with a flushed face.

Nevertheless, the marquis once again displayed superhuman patience.

“…It seems you’ve had enough to eat, so I will guide you to your room. If you rest comfortably, after the rear guard arrives, we will hold a grand welcoming ceremony for the heroes….”

“Before that, what about the communication?”

At the duke’s question that cut him off, Marquis Deort’s face showed disappointment.

In fact, the duke had tried to report to the royal family before the meal, but he had postponed it after hearing that the communication was not smooth.

“What? Is it still not recovered?”

Just as the duke frowned, a steward rushed in from outside.

And he whispered a report to the marquis.

Both the marquis who was listening and the duke who was watching him, their expressions stiffened in real time.

“The Spirit Master says it’s not our problem….”

“I heard. It’s a problem on the royal family’s side?”

“…Yes. Communication with other places is fine, but only the line to the royal family is cut off.”

“What kind of nonsense is that!”

At that moment, with a ‘bang’, a shockwave spread from the duke, sending all the nearby furniture flying.

Cra-cra-cra-cra-crack.

Even the marble floor of the mansion cracked in all directions.

“Hap!”

Chwaaaak.

Muno hastily extended his chain to snatch the table that was flying towards Marquis Deort, and then he put the furniture and fixtures back in their original places as he caught them.

Chwaak.

Chwak. Tadak.

Thanks to the evolution making it more natural to move the chains, it now felt like having extra limbs that could extend incredibly long, so it wasn’t difficult.

As a result, he was a beat late in realizing that the duke was staring at him in disbelief.

Ahem.

“…The furniture is not at fault. The bald old man seemed to be trying his best, too.”

It was a word uttered out of awkwardness, but I regretted it as soon as I said it.

When I turned my head, I fortunately saw the ‘bald old man’ giving a wry smile and raising his hand slightly.

‘…That must mean it’s okay, right?’

Just as the son of a mere baron was feeling a prick of conscience.

“…Guide me!”

The duke’s annoyed voice broke the awkward silence.

* * *

“It’s true. There’s nothing wrong, Your Excellency. We can even communicate with the venue of the Contest of Virtue….”

A chubby, good-natured middle-aged Spirit Master explained, sweating profusely.

The duke, still with an angry face, shouted.

“That can’t be! The royal family has several layers of security lines in preparation for a possible communication blackout. Unless the capital is captured, communication will not be cut off!”

Ruuuuuumble.

The force contained in his booming voice shook the small communication room.

‘Ah…!’

Muno belatedly realized why the duke was throwing such a tantrum.

“Could it be, something happened in the capital….”

“But Your Excellency! All the small cities near the capital have reported no abnormalities. Suddenly, only the royal family….”

“Suddenly or not, there’s no choice but to go to the capital immediately. Damn it, what on earth…!”

The moment the duke turned around, erupting in anger once again.

Pajijijijik.

Suddenly, mana moved in the round crystal sphere that had been transparent all along, and a strange wave began to flow out.

“Oh!?”

“Your Excellency, just a moment…!”

The duke, who was about to burst out of the communication room, paused and looked back.

At that moment.

[Ah. Ah. Erundel, we are connected.]

With an unfamiliar voice, the face of a middle-aged official began to appear in the communication sphere.

“What! What on earth happened that the royal palace communication went dead!”

The duke shouted at the crystal sphere without warning.

[What, what rudeness is this to the royal palace communication! Who are you…!? Hwaaak! Y-Your Excellency the Duke! I-I’m sorry!]

The official, who had been shouting back, bowed his head in front of the communication sphere upon confirming the duke’s face.

That sight made the duke even more furious.

“Stop with the useless gestures and explain the situation! What happened!”

[Th-That is….]

The words the sweating official spat out.

Those words were enough to surprise everyone who was listening.

“There was a terrorist attack on the royal family? And they had secretly seized the communication facilities prepared for war and were preparing for an attack?”

[Yes. That is correct.]

“But the 4th Prince Leon was able to quickly find out and stop it?”

[That is correct. Although he said he found out by chance, His Majesty declared that he had made a clear achievement. He also said he would give a reward.]

“Hmph…. And the casualties?”

[There were about 30 seriously injured and seven dead in the Steel Knightly Order, and three dead in the White Iron Knightly Order.]

“Is that all?”

[As I said, thanks to the 4th Prince, we were able to discover and deal with it early…. Th-That is what I know.]

“Hmm….”

The murderous aura had subsided, but the duke still seemed dissatisfied with the answer.

But a smile was already spreading on Marquis Deort’s face.

“Your Excellency, now that the situation in the capital has been confirmed, please stay in Erundel a little longer. We will prepare a grand victory ceremony and party.”

“The guys who had seized all of the royal family’s secret communication lines and were preparing for a terrorist attack, were discovered by a child and collapsed so futilely…. Baldy, do you believe that?”

Now he wasn’t even calling him by his name, but Marquis Deort, as if having given up, just sighed.

“…Isn’t Prince Leon already past his coming-of-age to be seen as a mere child? Sir Muno here is also known to be only 17 years old.”

“This guy is just a monster.”

“Above all, I trust His Majesty’s judgment, Your Excellency.”

Lockhart Iron I.

The moment the king, who was even praised for being wise, unlike the kings of the Iron Kingdom who had traditionally valued military power and magnanimity, was mentioned, the duke was at a loss for words.

‘Wow. That bald old man is quite something.’

Perhaps it was the experience that the bald, no, Marquis Deort had mentioned.

“…Indeed, if it’s His Majesty’s judgment, I must trust it. But it still feels fishy.”

“I believe it has been a long time since you have been on an outing, Your Excellency. Please rest a little longer.”

“…Hmm. Let’s think about it after I make the report I need to make first.”

A conclusion where the marquis seemed to have gained the upper hand for the first time since they met.

Soon, as the duke reported on the incident in the south of Erundel, the eyes of the listening officials widened twice.

And on that day, a huge rumor began to spread throughout the country.

* * *

The legendary monster that had been sealed 300 years ago was resurrected by the hands of the evil cult, and then subjugated by the hands of the Dragon Sword Duke.

The Blood Knight Anthony and the Red Iron Knight Rantor Selden (deceased). And the Black Knight Muno Drasen helped him to announce the end of the legend.

In the place where the Monster Lord of the demonic realm died, a terrible poison land has been created where no living creature can live, polluting several square kilometers with poisonous gas.

The king is preparing a great reward for the heroes of the kingdom.

Stories that made the entire kingdom buzz.

While the rumors, which poured out all over the country as if pre-arranged as soon as the duke made his report, were causing a huge sensation.

The royal family was attacked by the evil cult.

That trivial news (?) was quietly buried.

And at that time, the subjects of the rumor that shook the kingdom were sweating profusely in the underground training ground of Erundel.

“W-We should also depart, d-don’t you think? His Majesty the King is w-waiting.”

“Shut up and concentrate. Don’t be lazy.”

“This isn’t being lazy, it’s a fact….”

“We’ll fly to match when Anthony arrives by horse, so shut up. Why do you keep trying to escape reality when you know everything?”

“Th-That’s because. This right now is….”

“You’re losing strength because you’re talking. Concentrate!”

“Aaaargh. Really!”

Sweat poured down Muno’s entire body as he was in a push-up position.

It was just one old man on his back, but his body, which had evolved four times, was nearing a state of exhaustion after just a few push-ups.

“Again. One!”

“O-One.”

Uuuugh.

The moment I bent my arms, the weight on my muscles and joints felt as if a mountain was on my back.

Kkadeuk.

“Two!”

“T-Two!”

Woooooodeuk.

Kwa-deuk.

Just the motion of bending and straightening his arms seemed to make the ground sink.

Even considering that his own body was heavy, this was an absurd situation.

‘Crazy old bastard. What on earth did he do to suddenly make his weight….’

Ttak!

“Ack!? Why!? Why are you hitting….”

I turned my head, feeling wronged by the hand that suddenly smacked my head.

“Concentrate instead of cursing inwardly. Again!”

…A ghost-like old bastard.

Unable to retort, Muno had no choice but to clench his teeth and bend his arms again.

And he recalled a conversation they had a short while ago.

– You don’t know what it means to train your body according to your trait? Indeed, your trait is quite bizarre, isn’t it?

At those words, he had roughly explained about the Demon Devourer.

But contrary to his high expectations of getting a clue for evolution.

– Isn’t that a concern to have only after you’ve trained that body to the best of your ability?

A smile full of sinister intentions was the answer.

So, this is the result.

“One!”

“O-One! But if it’s going to be like this…!”

Woooodeuk.

“Two!”

“Twoooo! Damn it! Why did you ask me to explain my trait…!?”

He shouted, filled with resentment.

“You, you’ve grown easily by eating up magicians, haven’t you? You probably didn’t need to train much, right?”

At that question that came out of nowhere, I had no choice but to shut up.

Of course, it was very unfair to hear that he had grown ‘easily’ even though he had overcome countless life-threatening crises.

But.

“And as soon as you had your fourth evolution, the absorption of that origin demonic energy didn’t go well.”

“Th-That’s because the opponent was a legendary….”

“No, no, that’s not all. Oh, are you resting? One!”

“O-One!”

Woooodeuk.

“Damn it, then what is it!?”

“Until now, you’ve been overcoming by forcibly strengthening an unprepared body, but the fifth wall of the body shouldn’t be like that. That’s why your body is rejecting it. Because you shouldn’t grow just by absorbing energy.”

For a Seven-Star to give such advice, it was necessary to bury a little bit of resentment.

“Resting again? Two!”

“Twooooo!”

Woooodeuk.

“Uuuuugh. E-Even so, just training like this without a plan won’t do anything….”

“What do you mean, you can recover by eating. After crushing your muscles and bones, you build up your body quickly by recovering again. When you reach that limit, your trait will give you an answer. Again, one!”

There was nothing wrong with the duke’s words, but.

‘Wait a minute…?’

Suddenly, one word bothered me greatly.

“I-I understand muscles, but bones, why bones…?”

Does it get stronger by being shattered and reattaching?

At that natural question, a hand smacked his head once again.

Ppaak.

“Ack!”

“Anything that breaks and reattaches becomes stronger. Again! One!”

…I don’t think that’s right!?

I desperately wanted to rebel, but.

“What? Don’t tell me you don’t believe my words?”

“Th-There’s no way.”

The moment I saw his face, contorted like a fierce and evil god, as soon as I turned back, that feeling just disappeared.

“One!”

“O-One.”

Woooodeuk.

If I just stepped outside, everyone would be praising me.

‘Damn it, why am I….’

Muno could only shed tears of regret in his heart.

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