Witch Hunter Rhapsody

"Um, sir, I..."

"Alright, enough with the nonsense. You need to fight me seriously, otherwise, you'll get away with nothing."

Leon's expression was somewhat strange. He knew that Vitas was quite serious in strange places and was incredibly strong.

"My lord, I didn't mean to..."

Leon couldn't wait to throw the sword over.

"Please don't refuse. If you can defeat Vitas, you'll be our new instructor."

Saying this is like making someone a hero simply by killing a dragon.

People gathered around to watch the spectacle.

The arrogant fellow paused, then gritted his teeth and shouted, "Fine! I'll see what you've got!"

The others made way for Vitas, who held a longsword, and countless people wanted to catch a glimpse of him.

However, it's likely to be disappointing.

Vitas wielded his sword with such skill that ordinary people couldn't discern any technique; to them, only two words could describe it: "So fast! So powerful!"

And then, the guy who had spoken rudely was taken down.

"Alright, all of you, listen up. I know you want to follow the strong, that's normal. But everything in this world has its order. To become a knight, you must first become a squire; to become a hero, you must first become a soldier. Look at you! You want to follow me? You're far from it!"

When Vitas spoke, he kept thinking of his former companions.

"Don't aim too high. Start with the basics. Alright, those who are hoping to become famous overnight and those who want to follow me can leave now."

No one left. That's good.

Vitas himself had been through the same thing, so he understood what these people were thinking. They were unwilling to accept defeat, and that was what mercenaries were all about.

That is why only those who can make people put aside their arrogance and ambition and follow them wholeheartedly can be called heroes.

"Alright, Leon, get back to your work. My task is now complete. Remember to pay me for today. Oh, and if the Viscount gives me a bounty, remember to give me a third of it."

……

The inn where the Flying Eagle Knights reside is also open to the public. The environment there is so-so, but Vitas certainly wouldn't stay there.

Inside the card room, Vitas was playing cards with Ether. The two were about to leave, but Helena asked them to stay a little longer because the person who went to report to the Viscount should be returning soon.

"Vitas!"

"Oh? Who's calling me?"

Vitas put down his cards and turned to see Helena returning with a travel-worn-looking fellow.

"Are they from the Viscount's side?"

"Yes!"

"Then tell me quickly. What reward does the Viscount offer?"

"Well, Lord Vitalius, I think the trouble is more important than the reward."

It took some time for Vitas to get some information from the guy in front of him that wasn't particularly surprising.

Although Viscount Otham was of low status and not particularly wealthy, and his presence was almost nonexistent, much like the city of Otham itself, he was still a nobleman of the Duchy of Vilan, and countless eyes were on him. Travelers from other noble territories also resided within the city of Otham.

Given these factors, it becomes impossible to conceal last night's undead invasion.

The ruler of the duchy, the nominal owner of the duchy's territory, and the object of all oaths of allegiance of the duchy's nobles, the Duke of Vilan, has sent a message to the Viscount, demanding an explanation from him.

"So, what does this have to do with us? Ever since Viya's death, all this trouble has happened as if it were fate!"

Etherra didn't understand at all, but Vitas said it was understandable.

"The problem is, this is not our business. I think this is a struggle between wizards. Viya's death, as well as those troublesome wizards who appeared later, clearly show that the duchy and even other wizards are plotting something, which is beyond our reach."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it. Our viscount doesn't even have a wizard to work with, and he's heard that the kingdom's two greatest wizards are also interested in this matter. We'd better come up with a reasonable explanation before they arrive."

For a moment, Vitas wondered if the Viscount already knew everything. He knew that he had killed Viya, and that all of this was somehow connected to him.

But that's very unrealistic.

"So, the Viscount wants us to find out the truth behind Viya's death, and also the information about the Viya monster?"

Such a request makes it hard not to suspect that the viscount was trying to use it to curry favor with others.

"I'm quite curious too. Who exactly is this Viya? How could she cause such a big problem?"

Vitas said.

"Moreover, if we don't satisfy the Duke or those wizards, things won't be easy for us here either."

"Sigh, who on earth killed Viya? That guy really brought us so much trouble."

As Ether complained, Vitas could only smile awkwardly, unable to utter a single word.

"In short, this is what we're facing now. What should we do? If we can resolve this, our prestige and power will definitely rise to a new level!"

If the Eagle Knights' reputation and power grow, then I'm doomed.

Vitas never expected that Viya's death would cause such a big problem.

Damn it, in a sense, my confusion is not much different from the Viscount's.

Vitas looked at the cards in his hand, sighed, and then said, "Alright, I'll try to investigate, but I need the information from the Viscount's previous investigation. Who was in charge of investigating Viya's death?"

"He's already dead."

"Huh? Is this thing really that risky?"

Vitas was stunned.

"It's not that the risk is that great, but it's easy to run into the wizard's domain during the investigation. Wizards always do that."

"What were the results of the previous investigation?"

"It's gone too."

Vitas looked at the messenger from the Flying Eagle Knights. He knew, of course, that this person was just a messenger and not one of the Viscount's men, but now he found the man before him increasingly repulsive.

"Damn it, what are those guys up to? Did the Viscount only think of coming after me because almost all of his men are dead?"

That's basically it.

Now, Vitas finally understood the danger.

He was able to kill so many wizards because he was in the shadows.

If one places oneself in the open, the wizards will attack one after another.

Wouldn't that be the end of us?