Return of the Apocalypse Knight

Chapter 8: Tracking the Hero (1)

It seemed that just as it was impossible to open the gate to the other dimension, it was not so easy to close it.

The gate started to close a while ago, but it remained open until all the team members returned.

In particular, none of the vanguards who had traveled north, the direction the hero party had headed, returned.

Those who remained were forced to agree with the wizards that what had happened was the Demon King trap.

When no more vanguards returned, the people looked to the remaining officers, the nobles of the Empire.

The dead and the grievously wounded had already been returned to our world through the gate.

Those left here were the vanguard who had just returned, a few mages, and the last remaining Imperial noble.

We all looked at the nobleman.

Normally, the hero would be in command, but with the hero missing, the remaining nobleman had to make a decision.

“In the absence of the hero, we’ll have to wait for word from the command center, but…….I don’t think we have time for that.”

As everyone looked at him, the nobleman looked at the gate with trepidation.

The gate had shrunk by more than half, and now a single person could barely fit through it.

“There doesn’t seem to be anyone with a higher title than me, the Earl…….”

He seemed like a high-ranking person, but he was a Count of the Empire.

Still, I was relieved.

As a nobleman traveling with the hero, he wasn’t one to shirk his responsibilities.

“Well, since we’re running out of time, I, Count Richard, will take command for a while, if there are no objections.”

Most of the people here were soldiers and knights who had fought on the front lines for a long time.

No one would argue with the reasonable words of a high nobleman.

“According to the wizards, the Demon Gate’s connection to this world will be destroyed in a short time.”

Even without the nobleman’s words, the gate was shrinking in real time before their eyes.

Honestly, most of the people here would have preferred to return home right now.

“Fortunately, the wizards have succeeded in analyzing the gate. It will take time, but they have assured me that they will be able to create a gate that connects to this world again after the gate is gone.”

At his words, the mages in front of the gate nodded.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

I had been worried that we would be disconnected from this world, but it seemed that was not the case.

After all, the gate that connects the world of the elves and our world was also a gate that our magicians and elves created after seeing the Demon King’s Gate.

TLN: The author called the species ‘ear people’ but I’ll change the term to elves since it’s easier to understand and use.

They had already made one, so they should be able to make another.

Besides, there was no way the greedy nobles would just give up after discovering this new world. It was certain that they would open the gate again soon.

“So this is how we’re going to return?”

I heard the mountain soldier Hoffmann mutter next to me.

But, alas, it seemed unlikely that his words would come true.

Otherwise, the high noble wouldn’t have been talking so hesitantly.

His next words confirmed my suspicions.

“We could all return as we are and come here after the gates are reopened, but unfortunately, someone will have to stay behind.”

Everyone’s faces darkened at his words, but no one immediately protested.

“It may be necessary to keep someone alive here as a target to reopen the gate, but…….”

A target…….Some sort of human coordinates to find the targeted dimension and location?

But I’m guessing it’s not just for that reason?

“We need people to find the hero party who hasn’t returned yet.”

It was about the hero party.

Unlike the other missing vanguards, they couldn’t be left behind.

“If this is a trap, as the wizards say, then they must be the target. But even if they have fallen into a trap, I believe they are still safe.”

The Count was right.

Over the course of the battle with the demon king, I had heard more than once that the hero party was in danger or missing.

Each time, the hero party had survived the crisis and returned safely, just like in a novel or movie.

“Therefore, we need people to stay here, to support the heroes and to be the destination of the gate.”

That’s why the Count and everyone else here didn’t think the hero was dead.

I, of course, was in the camp that thought they might be dead.

I didn’t object to the idea that someone should stay behind to check on them, either.

“I would like at least one party to stay and join the heroes.”

It was a reasonable decision to leave one party behind, not all of them.

However, the party that stayed was ours.

“Your party is the only one I can trust among the vanguard.”

The Count turned to us, his face serious.

“Leave them to me. We will join the hero party as soon as possible and wait for the gate to be made.”

At the Count’s words, our Shiny Knight patted his chest and replied.

“Will the others be okay?”

After hearing the knight’s answer, the Count turned to the rest of the party.

“We’ve seen another world, and we can’t just go back.”

The wizard’s eyes lit up at the mention of staying behind,

“If that is your command…….I have no choice.”

Hoffman, the soldier, sighed and nodded.

Then, with an uncharacteristic quirk of his eyebrows, he spoke.

“One of the clan must stay behind to find the clansman that is with the hero.”

Judging from his expression, contrary to what he said, the elf who was with the group of warriors seemed to be an important person.

As the rest of the team agreed with him, the Count looked back at me one last time.

Then, he bowed to me.

“Will you stay, I beg of you? Help the heroes.”

So, the Count is friendly with the hero party?

But to bow to me, a free knight?

You don’t know my past life, do you?

I looked around in disbelief, but no one seemed too surprised.

“The Skull Slayer, indeed.”

I could hear Hoffman muttering.

I scratched my head.

No way, the rumor had reached an Imperial Count.

It was hard to say no to such a high ranking nobleman.

Of course, I wasn’t about to say no.

“Very well, but I would like you to reward me properly afterward.”

Glitter glared at me at my words.

I’m sure she thought my words were unbecoming of a knight but I’m not a central noble, I’m a free knight doing this to make a good living.

Fortunately, the Imperial Count did not take offense to my words.

“I’m sure you’ll be rewarded handsomely for your past deeds alone……. I’ll make sure you’re rewarded for this as well.”

Hmm, so my record is more recognized than I thought?

I guess I don’t have to stay, then?

But, alas, I had other reasons to stay in this world.

The clothes the corpse was wearing were written in Korean.

I had to make sure this was the Earth I had lived on in my previous life.

* * *

As soon as it was decided who would stay, people began to move.

One after another, people cross the gate.

As we watched the people cross the gate, the wizard looked at my bag.

“Luckily, there are two of you with spatial expansion equipment.”

The combat mage and I were the only ones with space expansion bags.

“Really?!”

“You have a spatial expansion bag?!”

Hoffman, as well as Glitter, seemed surprised to hear that I had a Spatial Expansion Bag.

He was, too, because the Spatial Expansion Bag was so expensive that even Glitter, a Noble Master, couldn’t afford it.

A spatial expansion bag was an item that would have been impossible for me to obtain if it weren’t for this war.

“It’s a good thing you have the space expansion bags. We’ll leave all the food and weapons we brought with us here for you to use with the hero party.”

Given the supplies they’d brought with the intention of creating a forward base, it seemed like we wouldn’t have to worry about food for long.

But even with the assurance that we wouldn’t have to worry about food, I still wanted to make sure.

“How long will we wait…….or how long do you think it will be before the gate is rebuilt?”

At my question, the wizard scratched his head and did the math.

Then, before he could speak, our wizard mumbled the date much more accurately.

“Sixty-two days.”

“……I think we’ll have the gate back up in about sixty days, unless there are any special problems.”

I glanced back at our mage.

Our combat wizard was clicking his tongue as if he’d just said something unnecessary.

It seemed that our mage was a better mage than I thought.

Anyway, two months or sixty days, that was how long we had to survive here, disconnected from the rest of the world.

“I’m going to perform a simple targeted spell, and I hope you all don’t resist my magic.”

After answering my question, the orthodox wizard raised his wand and unleashed his magic.

A small magic circle formed over the heads of my teammates, and I could feel the mana seeping into my body.

True to the wizard’s words, I didn’t reject the mana.

The mana kept pushing in and settling deep within me.

Once it had settled in, the wizard erased the circle of magic he had unfolded and said to us

“There you have it. You won’t feel it, but a magical marker has been imprinted on each of you, a marker to aim for when creating the gate to this world. The magic is sustained by the mana of living things, so I ask that you stay as alive as possible.”

Contrary to the mage’s words that I wouldn’t feel it, I could feel the mana embedded in my body.

Of course, I had to heighten my senses to feel it, but it seemed possible that I could erase or drain it if necessary.

Though I doubt it would be necessary right away.

After enchanting us, the wizards passed through the gate.

Then the soldiers, then the knights, then the rest of the vanguard, and finally the Count, who stayed behind to look at us.

“Join the hero party as soon as possible. Seeing that the advance party that headed north has not returned, it may be dangerous for you to follow them.”

I disagreed, but the decision had been made, and there was no point in arguing.

With that, the Count gave us one last command and leapt through the smaller gate.

The gate was now only about waist-width wide. It was impossible to pass through without jumping through.

After he left, we were the only ones left here.

The rest of us stared at the gate for a long time until it disappeared completely.

Time passed, and the gate faded into nothingness.

There was no trace of the gate in the void where it had hovered.

We moved immediately.

I opened the wizard’s and my spatial expansion pouches, filling them with the items the Count had mentioned.

Everyone fell silent, and the elf spoke.

“I will take the lead. The scent of my clan still remains.”

We set off north in search of the trapped hero.