The Knight Commander of the Second Male Lead [Novel] Chapter 79

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 79

Chapter Title: Fragment of the Fallen Spirit Lord

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"The gathering ended a bit ago. But it feels like someone's still hanging around the area."

When Adrian brought up the string of disappearances, Nina furrowed her brow and lowered her voice.

"Do you think the culprit is a Sage, Adrian?"

"If the locations keep overlapping, then even if it's not the Sage themselves, it has to be someone connected. Worth investigating."

"Why not send a spy?"

"If it's a Sage, it'd be pointless."

"Got it."

Only a spirit user like Adrian or Nina could handle a Sage.

It was too much for an ordinary person.

"Don't most capitals have a curfew, though?"

"They loosen up during the imperial ball season."

"So our job now is to patrol around here and look for anyone suspicious?"

Undercover duty.

The moment Nina opened her mouth to say, 'Sounds boring,' an unpleasant chill raced up her spine.

"?!"

Unthinkingly, Nina clamped a hand over her mouth. Nausea roiled in her gut.

'What is this?'

She whipped around to Adrian, who looked like he'd felt it too.

His already pale face had gone even whiter.

Nina focused her senses. The initial intense disgust had faded, but something fiercely repulsive still lingered.

She could pinpoint exactly where it was coming from.

Adrian took a step that way and whispered.

"Nina, be careful."

"You too, Adrian."

Nina nodded. Adrian flicked her palm with his finger and vanished into the shadows.

It tickled, so Nina clenched and unclenched her hand with a laugh.

The moment she drew a deep breath, a cough burst out. She started walking toward the fountain square.

'Ugh, this feels awful. Can't anyone else sense it?'

Normally, she'd be wary of what might emerge from the shadows and darkness, but not tonight.

The draped shadows were on her side.

Nina's steps quickened with confidence.

'It's getting worse the closer I get. Is Adrian okay?'

Thinking of sensitive Adrian, she figured it was best to wrap this up quickly.

It felt like walking through sticky, nauseating clouds that reeked.

"Until now, you've just been a convenient tool. How pitiful that you've only just realized it."

A voice rang out.

It reached her ears, but it prickled her skin too—like countless centipede legs crawling over her.

"Even your kind teacher was just another human in the end. I'll put an end to your pitiful life right here."

'Huh? He's got a target?'

Who is he trying to kill!

The moment she burst from the narrow alley into the wider one, she spotted the hooded figure's back, radiating foul energy.

"You villain!"

She yelled, and he turned in surprise. In his hand was something like a crystal orb.

That was the source of the disgust.

"Hiyah!"

The instant he turned, Nina's kick slammed into his side.

A sharp crack of breaking bone echoed as the hooded figure flew like a leaf and crashed into the corner.

After dealing with him, Nina checked the person he'd been looming over.

"Huh? Randell!"

It was so unexpected that Nina's voice rose.

His hood, embroidered with a pretty star, was dirtied, and his torn mouth bled.

Caught off guard by her arrival, he sat slumped on the ground, staring blankly at her in shock.

"What happened? You okay?"

As she hurried over and asked, tears welled in his wide eyes, spilling from those brilliantly colored irises.

"Randell? What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Startled, she dropped to one knee. Tears flowed like crystals.

"N-no, not that."

He stammered, then couldn't continue. Covering his eyes with his hand, he kept crying. Nina whispered.

"You got scared, huh? It's okay. Let's deal with that guy first, then talk."

At her words, Randell jerked his head up.

"Nina, it's dangerous—that thing he's holding—"

"Kieeeek!!"

Before Randell could finish, a scream of agony echoed through the dark night alley.

Nina spun around, reflexively summoning Winter's Shield.

But first, a wave of shadow surged up.

The shadow devoured the black flames and sank back to the ground.

Only then did Nina grasp the situation. Black flames poured from the man's eyes, mouth, ears, and both wrists.

'How's he even standing?'

Weren't mages supposed to be physically frail?

She'd kicked him hard—enough to shatter ribs and puncture a lung with pneumothorax.

His internals must be a mess.

And yet he rose?

Not unscathed, of course...

"What's wrong with him?"

He staggered, spewing flames everywhere, but it wasn't normal movement.

Less like willful attack and more like thrashing in pain.

The black flames were visibly eating away at him.

"Adrian...?"

"Over here."

He emerged from the darkness behind her and gripped her shoulder.

Nina relaxed, placing her hand over his and asking.

"Did you do that, Adrian?"

"I only severed his wrists. He wouldn't let go of the crystal orb."

"Even in that situation?"

"Less 'wouldn't let go' and more like the orb refused to drop."

He glanced around.

"Guards'll be here soon."

"Ah, do we have to explain this? How? But people showing up would be bad, right?"

With him writhing so ominously...

What if he exploded or something?

Thankfully, his movements slowed, then he collapsed in a heap of ashes, leaving only his clothes.

As if possessed by its own will, the apple-sized crystal orb rolled out from the ashes and stopped pointedly in plain view.

Not a speck of ash on its pristine, gleaming surface—somehow grotesque.

Inside the orb, about a third was filled with amber liquid.

Adrian wrinkled his nose faintly—a rare sign of deep displeasure from him.

Nina felt the same.

'Just looking at it makes me sick.'

But it'd be a shame to make Adrian carry it, so I'll do it.

As Nina approached, wrists were grabbed from both sides.

'Huh?'

She turned in surprise—Adrian on one side, Randell on the other.

"Huh? Why?"

"What are you doing?"

Nina nodded at the orb in response to Adrian's question.

"Can't just leave it. Gotta pick it up."

"That thing? You? Why?"

"Then who?"

Adrian's rose-quartz eyes twisted. Randell spoke first.

"Since both of you are spirit contractors, better not touch it."

He removed his own hood and carefully wrapped the orb.

"He claimed it was a fragment of a fallen spirit lord."

"What?"

Nina blurted in shock, and Randell gave a feeble smile. But his torn mouth prevented a proper one.

"Long time no see, Nina."

His greeting left her with a strange feeling.

"Yeah, really has been a while."

Randell bowed his head at her reply.

"We can't talk properly here. Let's move. To my mansion."

Randell glanced at Nina, then Adrian, before nodding at the latter's words.

"Understood."

"Let's go, Nina."

Nina took his hand. "Yeah, Adrian."

Adrian relaxed.

Still 'Adrian' for now.

Their time together wasn't over yet.