Of course, the boy did not agree to this. He was not ready to sacrifice his father.
Then there was nothing to be done, the manticore said. He was going to die now.
The beast raised its paw above them, and father and son held each other, thinking that they were about to die.
And at that very moment an arrow whistled towards the manticore and pierced it right in the eye.
Elder and his comrades had managed to reach the city before disaster struck. The old knight swung his sword, knocking the formidable beast's paw aside, and then ordered the Holy Knights of Santiago to begin the battle. They all rushed to the attack, and the townspeople fled.
The manticore, in a rage, called them pathetic insects. Did they really crave death so much?
Ian called the beast a fool, and said that this was just futile resistance.
The manticore angrily ordered him to shut up, and he asked mockingly, "Is that the barking of a beaten dog? All it can do is bark. It can't bite."
This provoked the manticore, and the beast ran at him in a fury, unaware that it was a trap.
Monty ran out from behind Ian. She commanded the plants to grow, and stems came up out of the ground and wrapped around the beast's legs.
Elder signalled to the knights. They threw skins of fuel over the manticore, and it screamed that these were just pathetic tricks.
Monty called out to Ian, telling him that it was his turn — and then he snapped his fingers, summoning fire.
A bright flash was reflected in the beast's eyes, and the fire lashed out at the manticore, only to flare up even more fiercely because of the fuel.
Feeling the unbearable heat, the beast screamed loudly, and Ian watched the monster suffer with a stony face. As it should.
After the beast was defeated, the townspeople came to thank them. While the knights enjoyed the attention, Ian stood off to one side and felt uneasy. Oberon noticed that he was being ignored, which only upset him even more.
They must be afraid of him. After all, he had turned the manticore into a fireball.
But not everyone avoided him. The young man and his father came over to him, thanking him for saving them, and he replied awkwardly that it was his duty. He had not done it for gratitude.
Elder came up to him and bowed his head, saying that he had been magnificent, and that they had been able to defeat the manticore only thanks to him.
This attention made Ian uneasy, and he began to deny the praise, saying that he had simply done everything as Monty had said, so let him raise his head.
The old knight looked at him with a smile. It was rare to meet such a modest man with such incredible abilities. He would certainly charm all the nobility. Perhaps he would become someone truly great.
Three knights ran up to them and asked whether they were the ones who had caught the manticore. Elder immediately became wary and confirmed it, asking who they were.
They apologised for not introducing themselves right away. They were knights from the castle. If it was not too much trouble, could they come with them? Count Katanat had asked for them to be invited to the castle.
The count received them quite kindly, set a large table in their honour, and thanked them for getting rid of the monster.
Elder replied that it was a mere trifle, and the count said what a pity it was. If only there were knights like them in this castle, they would not know any troubles.
He turned to Monty with a smile and said that they were allies now, so he would not bother her any more. Let her be sure of that. She smiled contentedly.
And then it was Ian's turn. The count smiled mysteriously and said that he had heard about him from his niece — but Ian did not hear a word of it, as he was happily devouring his food.
Oberon told him that this fellow was talking to him, and then Ian looked at the count and wondered what the matter was.
The count was simply shocked by his manners, but he quickly corrected himself, and Ian apologised. The food was so delicious that he had not heard him.
The count smiled awkwardly and, calling a servant to him, said that he had heard that he had taken care of his niece.
The servant brought a box to Ian, and its contents sparkled brightly. It was a golden magic scroll. As soon as you tear it in two, a magic scroll activates its effect.
Ian was delighted. Every line here was of the highest quality.
The count asked whether he liked it. He had prepared it especially for him.
He thanked him for such a valuable gift, and the man laughed. He had returned Lucy safe and sound, so it was nothing.
After that he snapped his fingers. The doors swung open, and Lucy came into the dining room, in a hat that struck Ian as very odd. He barely held back his laughter. What kind of look is this? And where did they even get that hat?
Lucy took a seat beside her uncle, cleared her throat, and told Ian that they had not seen each other for a long time. Was he well?
He answered that everything was fine.
"So she isn't your sister?" Elder asked with a sly smile. "Perhaps she's your lover?"
Ian denied it immediately, and the count made him a proposal. He was going to avenge his niece. Would he lend him his power?
Now Ian understood why he had given him such a gift. Well — he would not have to risk his life on the battlefield. He would only need to provide magical support at the right moment, as he had with that manticore. If all went well, he could receive a double reward, from both the count and Lucy.
He replied that if he needed the help of a humble mage like himself, then, well, he would help.
Three days later, the knights were already getting ready to set out. Ian and Lucy came out to see them off. She said that her uncle was very sorry he could not see them off himself because of the preparations for the campaign. When they were back in the Tarian lands, they would be very glad to see them.
Elder said that they would definitely meet again.
Ian thought that the number of knights had decreased significantly after Count Katanat took some of them with him.
The old knight thanked him for everything. When he had the time, he should stop by the island of Trinidaro. He would introduce him to secrets that might interest him.
Ian asked what kind of island it was, and he answered that it drifted in the coral sea. If he said that he had come to Salvador, everyone would be happy to see him.
"So that's your real name?"
Finally Elder decided to reveal his identity. His name was Salvador Orcus.
On hearing this name, Lucy was very surprised and exclaimed in delight that it could not be true. Was he the same Salvador of the White Wolves?
He smiled and said that she should not trouble herself remembering an old man's name.
"What kind of white wolves are these?" Ian asked.
Lucy was very surprised that he did not know. The White Wolves mercenary company reported directly to the former emperor. The leader of that company was granted the honorary title of swordmaster by the emperor of that time. So this man standing before them was a swordmaster.
Salvador smiled awkwardly, but Ian did not care. Lucy was deeply indignant at his reaction. He was a living legend, after all.
He still did not admire it, and the old man laughed, noting that this was typical of him. Lucy was simply shocked that he was so indifferent to such incredible news, and the old man laughed again and called it a trifle.
And now it was time for them to hit the road. Monty asked Ian to say hello to Alletus. The knights thanked him for his help, and Dietrich tearfully took his hand and hoped that they would meet again. Ian winced, as though he were seeing him off to war.
Salvador shook his hand at parting, and Ian said that when everything calmed down, he would go to the ruins of Trinidaro. The old man noted with a smile that they would see each other again. Until then, he should take care of himself.
Time passed. The count gathered all the mercenaries and knights, climbed up onto the dais and gave a speech.
He remembered how his niece had run to him in tears and asked him to punish the man who had killed her mother. Graeme. He had killed his sister, and then tried to force Lucy into marriage.
However, this situation was not so bad for him. If he used her as cover to gain a foothold in these lands, and married her to one of his vassals, then the barony of Tarian would be under his control. When all this was over, he would talk to Lucy.
He punched the air and declared that, according to the laws of this land, he would bring this hated usurper Graeme to justice.
The knights raised their swords, praising the count. He announced that they were setting out on campaign, and they cried out solemnly in response.