Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 192

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 192 – Lloyd’s Hard Day

“Ah, I’m Lloyd. It seems you’re the man we’ve been looking for.”

“That’s quite an honor.”

Lloyd turned his eyes away from Logas, whom he was about to kill, and looked at Ed.

“Hmm… you look quite neat. You look like a butler, but you also look like a civil servant. You don’t look like you belong on a battlefield.”

He fastened the top button of his shirt, which was made of soft white cloth, and wore black dress trousers underneath.

It’s a quiet outfit that suits the middle-aged man, but it would also stand out on a battlefield.

“This is an honor―you also look like an actor, don’t you? What role would that be… the villain, perhaps?”

Ed smiled with a friendly look on his face.

But Lloyd couldn’t help but dislike his eyes.

“Good and evil are ambiguous things that change depending on your position. That’s worse than a person drowning in love.”

“Oh, that’s a surprisingly intelligent thing to say. I don’t dislike that kind of thing either.”

“That’s good to hear. By the way, aren’t you going to step aside? I can’t finish him off like this.”

This was going to be difficult. Lloyd showed a little impatience inwardly.

The fact that Ed parried his attack so easily came as a great surprise to Lloyd.

“The script has to be followed. I told you that―Logas-dono, please step aside. I will take over from here.”

“Y-yeah… I’m sorry. I owe you, Ed-dono!”

Although he looked frustrated, Logas obediently got on a horse with the soldiers and left.

The battle situation around them also showed Ishtalika’s overwhelming superiority, and Lloyd breathed a sigh of relief.

The problem was the miasma, but first, he had to deal with Ed…

“I have no intention of putting up with your cheap theater. I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ve ever been on that stage before.”

“You’re making a mistake. You’re a citizen of Ishtalika. Then you’ve been on the stage since you were born. Isn’t that right?”

“Haha. I don’t think beasts have the wisdom to act out anything!”

At that moment, something passed by Lloyd’s cheek.

Because he was in a heightened state on the battlefield, Lloyd was able to move his face to the side at that moment, but a layer of skin was torn off.

“How does it feel to be caught off guard by a beast?”

“Not bad at all. The fact that you can’t control yourself shows that you really are a beast… right?”

Ed, the Red Fox, was a man who was impossible to understand.

If he were to be compared to anyone, Lloyd felt that he was like Warren, someone who was impossible to grasp.

The distance between them and the spear. Lloyd took a step forward so that his opponent would not be able to do as he pleased.

“That’s a good step forward. Sharp as a beast.”

“Yes, isn’t it? I was trying to imitate you, and I’m glad you praised me.”

“Hahaha… In that case, I can’t give you a good grade yet.”

He unleashed a small strike at Ed.

Even if Lloyd unleashed it, the power of the strike would be no joke, but Ed parried the sword as if taking a breath.

“You see, I’ve competed with Logas-dono in martial arts many times since long ago. Based on this experience, you are a knight who is incomparable to Logas-dono.”

“Huh… Even if I can beat him, I’m not that happy about it!”

“Well, please don’t say that. I’m complimenting you… you know?”

For Lloyd, it had been a long time since he had experienced something like this.

Each of his attacks was easily parried, and without being able to attack in the gaps, he could only continue to watch the situation quietly.

It was nothing but humiliation, but there was no denying that it was a battle that made him feel the difference in their strength.

“…I don’t really want to think about it.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

Lloyd, who had taken a step back, spoke to Ed.

“You’re a troublesome man. I don’t want to think there are many men like you… that’s all.”

“Ah, then don’t worry. There are still a few of our kind, but they’re all useless dust. To tell the truth, I think you have more talented people with you. “

“Huh?”

“Can’t you trust me without being so suspicious? Let me put it another way. Among the Red Foxes, I am the most skilled warrior.”

Lloyd was taken aback. It was true that Ed was strong, but he had never expected him to be so open with information.

“After all, I was a man who held the position of squad leader even in the Black Knights. There was no one else who was stronger than me…”

“Black Knights…? Ah, you mean the order of knights in the territory of the former Demon King, right?”

He remembered Marco.

He mentioned his position as he heard it from Ain.

“I see. So there were only two warriors who were stronger than you… is that what you’re saying?”

The moment he muttered this, Ed stopped moving his body completely.

The tip of his spear moved up and down in an agitated manner, and the fake smile on his face became more polished.

“Who exactly are you talking about?”

He looked at Lloyd with a smile, but his eyes were wide open and looked like those of a reptile.

“I have never met him, but Ain-sama―our Crown Prince―has. His name is Marco; I heard he was the second-in-command of the Black Knights.”

The aura he radiated was terrifying.

Even Lloyd felt that he was so strong that he had no chance to win from the beginning.

When Ed heard this, he looked at Lloyd with hatred in his eyes.

“That… that armored guy, that headless guy… is he stronger than me?”

It’s a terrible way to put it, but Lloyd understood that he’s referring to Marco.

“Ah, yes. After all, he’s the second-in-command. In other words, for you who aren’t the commander, those two are even stronger.”

“…..”

Ed opened and closed his mouth, unable to find the words he wanted to say.

“Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. Calm down.”

Then suddenly, Ed started biting his left thumb.

He didn’t put the tip of his thumb in his mouth; he put the thumb directly in his mouth and bit down with his teeth.

“I am Ed… the best warrior to have received my mother’s favor…!”

As he bit his fingertip over and over again, blood naturally spilled out.

One would think that he would feel an appropriate amount of pain, but Ed bit his finger without paying any attention.

“Was there some kind of fate…?”

Lloyd muttered curiously.

Ed, who had been calm until a moment ago, now showed a frantic expression as he tried to calm his unstable mind.

“――Ah, it’s that simple.”

Suddenly, Ed showed a sign of calm.

As if he had come to some kind of understanding, Ed disappeared for a moment, then reappeared at an angle behind Lloyd.

“Oops…”

Lloyd, who had noticed Ed’s appearance, looked at the spear’s behavior and became cautious, but the attack Ed unleashed was not with the spear…

“Kahh―hah…!”

It was just a kick. However, Ed’s kick, which dug into Lloyd’s side with great force, shook his internal organs.

“Ugghh…!”

Prompted by the intense feeling of nausea, Lloyd vomited from his mouth.

“That’s the way it should be. That way, I can also wash away the bad feelings.”

Ed continued to kick Lloyd, who was holding his side.

He did this again and again.

…Even Lloyd, who was tough, was brought to his knees by the pain that coursed through his entire body.

“The role I’m playing now is that of a strong son, loyal to his mother. For me to be spoken to like this is nothing but an insult. You see, words spoken to an actor require a little more care than in everyday life. Well, I mean, it’s not that I’m too careful or anything, but I mean, you shouldn’t become what you call a ‘stupid actor.’ …Are you listening?”

“Guh… you… you’re very talkative when it comes to things like that, aren’t you?”

As he spoke with a sense of pride, Ed hummed to himself.

When he saw Lloyd looking distressed, he nodded with satisfaction.

“People are like that. They get talkative about things they like. Sometimes there are those who are ashamed to talk about it, but I think that’s a shameful way of thinking in itself… don’t you think?”

Ed asked Lloyd as he shouldered his spear.

“Then you don’t deserve it. If it’s just someone’s idea, then you have nothing to do with it.”

“Well, I don’t know about that. You don’t hear words like that anymore, but there used to be a name for it.”

Ed drove the spear into the ground and spread his arms out like wings as he opened his mouth.

“Demon. A being that cannot be defeated by humans… In the past, beings that looked like humans were called ‘demons.’ Then we are also like humans.”

Lloyd laughed at Ed’s new words.

“So you’re saying you’re like a monster. That’s a good name for you, beasts.”

“…You are really suited to be a good villain. You were a very good actor.”

He continued to talk back. That was Lloyd’s impression of Ed.

He let out a sigh of exasperation and raised his spear at Lloyd.

This was the last time. Ed thought to himself.

Then, at that moment.

“Sorry to interrupt you in the middle of your performance.”

A man in a robe approached Ed with a hoarse voice.

Even though his back was bent at a low angle, the way he stood with his cane in his hand gave Lloyd a creepy feeling.

“What is it?”

“It seems that Layfon-sama is tired.”

“The pig… no, Layfon-sama is tired?!”

“Y-yes.”

Covering up his unnecessary comment with a cough, he answered the man in the robe with a worried expression.

“It’s a promise I made to my mother. Besides, if that happens, there will also be problems with the script… Yes, I understand. It’s time to end it.”

Satisfied with himself, Ed puts down his spear in resignation.

After putting his spear away, Ed got on the horse brought by the man in the robe and moved away from Lloyd.

“Sorry, but I have something more important to do than you. So I think we should call it a day.”

“W-wait! What exactly are you trying to do here?”

Lloyd asked about the Red Fox’s intentions, but Ed didn’t answer him and said something else instead.

“Oh, and one more thing. Even though we’re on stage, let’s not talk about that scrap metal anymore. It’s something we’re not going to be involved with anymore.”

Scrap metal… Ed told Lloyd not to mention Marco’s name.

Then he turned his attention to the direction of Logas, who continued to retreat through Birdland.

“Logas-dono seems to have gained enough distance. Now, I must return to Heim with Layfon-sama.”

“That’s why I said to wait… Ngh!”

Lloyd sits up forcibly.

Then, the place where Ed kicked him hurts a lot.

He thought that perhaps his bone was broken. When he realized this, he also realized that his grip was weakening.

“I’ve done my job, and you’ve done yours. This kind of overlooking is also a spice on the stage. When you come back, when you’re a little stronger, I can expect even more excitement.”

Ed, who had made the horse run while laughing, walked over to the carriage Layfon was riding in.

“L-Lloyd-sama! Are you all right…?”

“Ah, yes. I seem to have survived somehow.”

As Ed left, several of the Royal Knights approached Lloyd.

“How did the battle go…?”

“Those strange creatures suddenly stopped moving. So I think we can say we won without taking too much damage.”

“Stopped moving…? What on earth does that mean?”

Lloyd asks, not satisfied with the answer, and another knight replies.

“Well, the miasma leaking from the carriage has stopped. For some reason, the creatures also suddenly slowed down… and finally stopped moving, so it was as if we were attacking them with a crossbow.”

“But that’s strange, isn’t it? That carriage was so sturdy… it didn’t budge at all.”

Logas. And while he was fighting Ed, all sorts of strange things happened… After a few seconds, Lloyd, looking tired, stood up vigorously.

“I don’t understand. But if the other side has retreated to Heim, then that is our victory, right?”

“Ha!”

“I think that’s right!”

“There are casualties, but… it’s a result that can be called a great victory.”

Lloyd was pleased with the reaction of the Royal Knights.

The shock he felt from his encounter with Ed was not only physical but mental as well.

For the moment, however, he would be happy to have survived and achieved victory.

“…Ouch!”

“A-are you okay, Lloyd-sama?”

One of the Royal Knights supported Lloyd, who had lost his balance.

“Ah… I’m sorry. I seem to have used up a bit too much energy.”

“Our knights are already on their way to Birdland. We’ll go there a little slower.”

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