Wizard: I Have a Cultivation System-Chapter 64: Kelvin’s Death

Killing.

It must be fast, precise, ruthless, and completely unexpected.

No matter how brilliant the attack, it all ends the moment it strikes its target.

Lawson froze, startled by the familiar voice, but the combat instincts honed by years of training made him react instantly.

He spun around, swinging his sword toward the sound of something slicing through the air, only to see a shortsword flying toward him. There was no one there.

Just as he swung his sword to block the incoming shortsword, another one pierced his throat from the exact opposite direction.

Real combat was just that simple.

The human body is so fragile. Find an opening, and a single blow can be fatal.

Lawson wasn’t dead yet, but he was beyond saving.

He desperately clutched his throat as hot blood gushed between his fingers.

His eyes bulged, fixed on Murphy as he emerged from behind a tree. They were filled with incredulous shock and resentment.

He wanted to question him, to roar, to understand why a lowly Groom possessed such skill.

But with his throat pierced, all he could manage was a gurgling, leaking sound. Every attempt to speak only forced more blood from the wound.

His legs began to give out, and his body involuntarily crumpled to its knees.

His hate-filled eyes remained locked on Murphy, as if trying to drag him down to Hell with him.

But if hatred could kill, the nobles and Knights of this world would have long been slain by the resentment of the common folk.

GURGLE... GURGLE!

As his Life Force rapidly drained away, Lawson’s vision blurred, but his indignation and fury did not lessen in the slightest.

But still, he fell, his eyes refusing to close in death.

"So weak."

Murphy sighed softly and waited in place for a moment.

After confirming there was nothing unusual about Lawson’s body, he stepped forward, pierced his eyeballs with a shortsword, and scrambled his brains.

He tossed the body into the mountain forest, leaving it for Nature to deal with, along with the two shortswords.

Then, Murphy turned and walked toward the horse, which was still suffering from diarrhea.

He placed his hands on the horse’s belly, gently massaging several specific acupoints. The horse’s painful symptoms quickly subsided, and it gave a relieved snort.

Yes, this was all Murphy’s doing.

When his [Horse Trainer] skill was merely at the 「Slightly Accomplished」 level, he couldn’t induce diarrhea in a horse with just a light touch. But after reaching the 「Entering the Hall」 realm, it had become effortlessly easy.

Since he could do it, it was only natural that he would find a way to isolate Lawson.

The reason was simple. Bishop Alberto was dead, and the Church Court was bound to launch a strict investigation.

During the investigation, that mad dog Lawson, who carried an aura similar to a Witch’s, would definitely try to take a bite out of him.

He couldn’t expect the Church Court to be discerning enough to see through Lawson’s lies and let him go.

Given the Church Court’s legendary style of "better to kill an innocent man than let a guilty one escape," Murphy absolutely could not take that risk.

’If he can’t go back to the castle...’

’Then he has to die.’

’Alright, those were all just excuses.’

’The real reason was that he simply wanted Lawson dead. It was that simple.’

’Just as he knew killing the Baron was far from the best choice, yet he did it anyway.’

’There was no complicated reason for that, either.’

’He just wanted to kill him.’

’His Cultivation wasn’t meant to turn him into stone. As long as he had the power, he would personally send his enemies to Hell.’

’Waiting for an enemy to die of old age or sickness and then dancing on their grave was something he’d only do if he couldn’t beat them and the risk was extremely high.’

’And now, the chaos had become his greatest cover. The risk of killing Lawson had been reduced to a minimum.’

’Or rather, not killing Lawson—keeping him around—was the truly high-risk, foolish act.’

After healing the horse, Murphy prepared to mount it and return to the outpost.

He would abandon the horse as he got closer to the outpost, but for now, he needed it for transportation and to recover the stamina he’d spent rushing through the forest.

He couldn’t return to the Baron’s Castle openly just yet. This trip was solely to eliminate the hidden threat of Lawson at the opportune moment.

He believed that with his keen perception of auras, he would be able to escape in time before any real danger arrived.

To reap rewards, one must take risks. Murphy had long been prepared to pay the price.

「...」

When Arthur and Luca spurred their horses back to the Baron’s Castle, the gate guards looked at them in surprise. "Sirs, why have you returned so quickly?"

Arthur said impatiently, "Urgent business!"

Their sudden return caused quite a stir inside the castle.

Since Lord Kelvin and the Roton Knight were not in the castle, the one who came to receive them was the butler, Olov.

The butler, nearly fifty years old, came from a family that had served the Duval Clan for generations. His ancestry could be traced back to the followers of the first Baron Duval.

Six years ago, it was he and Kelvin who had interrogated Murphy upon his return from the Twilight Mountain Range.

He was also one of Kelvin’s earliest supporters and one of his trusted confidants.

Although Olov could tell at a glance that the Knight’s Attendants’ sudden return meant something major had happened, he maintained his usual composure. "Sirs, you’ve returned so suddenly. Has something happened at the border?"

Arthur and Luca reported in detail what had happened at the outpost.

When he heard the news of Bishop Alberto’s death, Olov could no longer maintain his composure. His face changed instantly.

He said hurriedly, "This is no small matter! But Lord Kelvin and the Roton Knight are at Gray Rock Outpost right now. Viscount Hans has been making frequent moves lately, so they went personally to oversee things."

Luca asked in surprise, "Gray Rock Outpost? You don’t mean Viscount Hans is actually going to..."

Olov nodded slightly. "The specific situation is still unclear, but the two lords have already gone to handle it."

He paused for a moment, then said decisively, "No matter what, this must be reported to the two lords at once. As you said, Lawson showed remarkable loyalty and courage. Now, you will be the ones to deliver word of this loyalty and courage to our lords. And for your loyalty and courage, and Lawson’s, you will all receive your due reward."

Arthur performed a solemn knight’s salute. "We will set out for Gray Rock Outpost at once."

Luca followed suit. "We will ensure the message is delivered promptly."

Just then, a figure covered in blood staggered into the hall.

Old Jimmy’s Leather Armor was torn, his face bore a deep wound, and blood soaked his robes.

"Old Jimmy!" Arthur was the first to cry out.

Luca rushed forward to support the faltering old follower. "What happened?"

Old Jimmy looked around at everyone present and said gravely, "Lord Kelvin was severely injured in a border clash with Viscount Hans. The Roton Knight is also gravely injured."

"What!" Luca cried out involuntarily.

Olov’s face went white, his voice trembling. "What is their condition now?"

Arthur gripped the hilt of his sword and said urgently, "We’ll head to Gray Rock Outpost immediately."

At this critical moment, a servant ran hurriedly into the hall, panting as he announced, "Lord Sylvan has arrived!"