Lord Of Doom!Reincarnated Into a Novel as the Strongest Side Character-Chapter 73: Howl

Toki and Gojin had initially thought this was their receiver. However, they received their answer shortly after...

"Can I have a bottle of ale?" the Knight asked with a smile. He bore no weapon and was recognised solely by the cross on the crest of his armour.

Averyl, the bartender, immediately set to work. With practiced ease, she grabbed a tankard from the shelf and filled it with frothy ale from a nearby cask. She carried it over to the knight’s table with a warm, yet professional, smile. As she set the tankard down before him, the knight nodded in appreciation, his eyes gleaming with gratitude.

Turning on her heel, Averyl returned to her post behind the bar, her steps steady. She leaned in slightly to continue the conversation with Gojin.

"Is he a regular?" Gojin asked in a low voice, his eyes briefly lingering on the young Knight before returning his attention to her.

She smiled and answered, "Not so much. But he visits from time to time. He’s a new recruit in the Nightgale Church, down in the Crimson Division. A Knight squire."

Gojin wasn’t particularly interested in religious matters, but this conversation was taking an unexpected turn. The idea of Churches recruiting Knights was something he could never have imagined in all his existence. Of course, he knew that a Knight squire was no different from someone playing with wooden swords. But what truly intrigued him was what these Knights actually did.

"So they purge Demons with their swords?" Gojin asked, feigning indifference, as if he himself wasn’t somewhat involved in tasks like that – exorcising demons.

Averyl nodded in confirmation, her expression steady. "Yes, that’s correct. Knights are often recruited by various churches as holy beings, blessed with Divinity – one of the three elements of life. They’re revered as instruments of the divine will." She paused, briefly looking away with tight lips. "They are also determined to eradicate Witches, who have been a scourge upon this Kingdom for over a hundred years now."

At the mention of Witches, Gojin couldn’t suppress a slight inward smile. This world was beginning to pique his interest.

Witches, huh?

It sounded like things were much more complicated here than he had first imagined. A surge of curiosity washed over him, and he couldn’t help but feel the urge to explore this land further. How had Kenji left him out of all this information? Yes, Kenji had been assigned to England, but a different city, Gale. Gojin was beginning to realise just how much he had missed, and he couldn’t help but feel the need for a more thorough briefing on the situation.

Averyl was about to continue, ready to explain more about the world and how Dark Knights existed as well, but her words were cut off when the Knight Squire, eager for more, called out for another bottle of ale. He had already polished off his previous one with surprising speed. At the same time, Toki, who had been quiet throughout, was now asleep, his head resting on the table.

As expected, Gojin had managed to bring Boss along on this trip. With its ability to teleport and merge with shadows, it had been an easy task. Its shadowy nature allowed it to conceal its presence from exorcists and any other kind of hunter. The creature had been on the ship the entire time, and upon their arrival, it had silently dispersed into the city, maintaining a position close to Gojin. The rest of his eighty-strong legion were concealed within a chain pendant, their souls and bodies trapped inside. Over the past six months, through his commitment to development, Gojin had learned to master some of his infinite techniques. One of those was concealment – a technique that allowed him to trap entities within any item, even something as small as a bottle.

But there were limits to this power. If not, Kurozai would have been the perfect target.

(Note: The author is refraining from using the actual ancient city names of England for various reasons. One of these is to add an element of intrigue and to make the experience even more enjoyable than it already is.)

Upon returning to the bar after attending to the Knight Squire, Gojin was met with the sudden intrusion of a door being flung open. In strode a dwarf, his face flushed with sweat, his movements purposeful. He was short, barely reaching four feet, with a sturdy frame that hinted at the strength beneath his stocky appearance. His face was round, almost cherubic, with rosy cheeks and a nose that seemed to have been squashed slightly, as though it had seen its fair share of bumps. A tangle of bright red curls framed his face, matching the thick beard that cascaded from his chin in a wild, untamed mass.

Dressed in a manner that befit his station, the dwarf wore a tunic of deep green velvet, embroidered with gold thread along the edges in a delicate, flowing pattern. A fine dark leather belt, studded with silver, cinched at his waist, and his trousers were neatly pressed, although the cut was slightly bulky to accommodate his muscular legs. A cloak, rich and dark, was draped over his shoulders, fastened with a clasp shaped like a dragon’s head. In his hand, he held a scroll, which seemed to contain something of great importance as he clutched it with both hands, almost protectively.

His abrupt entry caused a few of the tavern’s drunkards to stir, groggily blinking awake, the sleep still lingering in their eyes. They muttered curses under their breath, irritated by the disturbance, but with the haze of alcohol still clouding their minds, they barely noticed the dwarf’s noble attire. As the morning crept further into the room, some of the more sober patrons began to shuffle towards the door, their faces lined with annoyance at the hour. One or two muttered under their breath as they passed, while the dwarf wrinkled his nose, trying to shield himself from the overpowering stench of stale drink that seemed to hang in the air.

Gojin and Averyl both watched the dwarf closely, curious as to who he was searching for. His eyes scanned the room before they locked onto Gojin’s, a moment of recognition passing between them. Without hesitation, the dwarf unfurled the scroll, revealing a finely detailed sketch that made it clear who he had come for. His gaze flicked between Gojin and the scroll, then back to Gojin again, before he let out a deep breath, his expression softening into a faint, knowing smile.

With a voice that was both high-pitched and squeaky, but unmistakably British, the dwarf spoke:

"You must be Gojin."

At first, the young man tilted his head slightly, a touch of confusion on his face, before he nodded. It seemed this was indeed the person he had been expecting.

"Welcome to Eden Peak. I’m your Receiver, the one we’ve been corresponding with through letters. My name’s Howl, and I’ll be escorting you to the Eve Department. We thank your Emperor for sending you to us. Shall we be off?"