Chapter 177: Whose Fault Was It (2)

The formation commanded by Rasfer had become completely ruined.

Marquis Conforta, who served as the deputy commander, was in utter disarray as the water tempest and the enemies attacked at once.

“Where in the world did such people come from!”

Dozens of knights and soldiers had already collapsed helplessly.

The enemies, fewer in number than their allies, did not cease their advance and gradually swallowed the entire formation.

It was also his first time seeing the serpent-like symbol engraved on the enemies’ chests.

There was only one choice.

“Retreat! All forces, fall back!”

The moment the signal was given, the battlefield—which had barely seemed like it might calm—turned even more hellish.

Marquis Conforta had expected such chaos.

Even so, the reason he chose to retreat was because, long before the water tempest had disappeared, ominous energy had continued to surge from the lower part of the valley.

“What in the world is happening.”

Marquis Conforta immediately mounted his horse.

Now he simply had to move along the predetermined path with the knights.

Shuaaaak! Pak!

A sudden incoming arrow struck Marquis Conforta in the shoulder, knocking him off his horse.

“Kh…! Where was that shot from?”

He had not lost consciousness, so he urgently searched for the source.

At the same time, Marquis Conforta activated the 2nd-Circle defensive spell, ‘Energy Shield’.

Shuaaaak! Paaak—!

Another arrow flew in.

But this one pierced through the ‘Energy Shield’ and grazed the marquis’s cheek as it passed.

“H-How did it get through the shield…?”

Although ‘Energy Shield’ was only a 2nd-Circle spell, if the caster was a 4th-Circle Master, the density of infused mana was entirely different, making it capable of blocking nearly all physical attacks.

But this arrow had broken through it.

Marquis Conforta had no choice but to be shocked—and unable to move any further.

For he understood better than anyone that the arrow just now had been a warning.

The enemy forces tearing through the tents moved even faster.

They were like werewolves ripping through frightened rabbits.

“It’s over…”

Only despair flowed from the mouth of Marquis Conforta, who had experienced countless battlefields.

Despite being a small force, the atmosphere had already been completely overwhelmed.

Some knights tried charging in, but they were subdued in an instant.

There was another reason that hastened the marquis’s decision to give up.

The water tempest that had just torn through the formation—

It had unmistakably been the 5th-Circle spell ‘Rain Boom’.

That meant at least one mage capable of 5th-Circle magic existed among the enemies.

The formation, which held 1,000 soldiers excluding the 500 sent into the valley, had been devastated in an instant.

“My lord!”

Mages who had been assisting the knights’ counterattack from the rear spotted Marquis Conforta and rushed toward him.

“Are you all right?”

“The situation is dire. You must retreat immediately.”

While hearing their concerns, the marquis’s gaze shifted back to the arrow that had grazed his cheek.

At the same time, he could feel a chilling killing intent.

The source was a tall tree on a southeastern hill.

Something there gleamed as it reflected the sunlight.

‘An archer…?’

An archer skilled enough to pierce an ‘Energy Shield’.

If that person had intended to kill him, he would have already been dead.

In the end, Marquis Conforta’s decision had already been set.

“I surrender…”

“…P-Pardon?”

The surrounding mages thought they had misheard.

But upon seeing the marquis’s grave expression, they could not question him.

Soon, the mages began moving to carry out the order.

“Disarm! Everyone disarm and surrender!”

It was a decision that wounded his pride and was not easy to make.

But Marquis Conforta did not want to sacrifice his people.

‘In the first place, this must have been my mistake.’

With the order cried out, the knights and soldiers began laying down their weapons one by one.

At the same time, the attacking enemy forces halted and gathered to one side.

Before long, all allied forces stood unarmed in the middle of the formation.

From within the encircling ring of soldiers, a man dressed in black clothing walked out.

His face, neck, and hands were splattered with blood—evidence of how many he had slaughtered.

“Are you their commander?”

For a negotiation on which his life depended, Marquis Conforta stood.

The man wiped the blood on his face with his sleeve and replied.

“No.”

“…?”

Step. Step.

As he spoke, the soldiers parted again, and a woman carrying a bow stepped forward.

At her appearance, the first man lowered his head slightly.

From that single motion, it became immediately clear which of the two held the higher position.

“You must be the commander. I am Derein Conforta, Marquis of the Mineta Kingdom and Lord of Conforta.”

Having surrendered, he introduced himself as politely as possible.

The woman looked at him quietly before opening her mouth.

“I am Negis.”

“…Would you tell me which kingdom you come from? I wish to know before I die.”

The two individuals who stepped forward were Negis and Calsios.

Hearing Marquis Conforta’s words, the two briefly exchanged glances.

“I apologize, but we do not have the authority to kill you.”

“…What?”

“Please wait a moment. As for where we come from, he will answer that.”

To Marquis Conforta’s eyes, Negis did not seem like a noble.

Furthermore—a female commander wielding a bow… such a sight was rare in any kingdom, including the Mineta Kingdom.

The same was true for the man beside her, Calsios.

‘His bronzed skin looks like he’s from Moratz…’

Judging by their appearance and the way they spoke, even their origins seemed different.

Having no connecting clues, Marquis Conforta grew increasingly frustrated trying to make sense of it.

Then another man rushed toward Negis and Calsios.

“It appears Prince Rasfer and several of his subordinates have escaped.”

“Did you find the direction?”

“Based on the tracks, northwest is the most likely. Shall we pursue?”

At the man’s question, several others leaned forward as if ready to move immediately.

Seeing that, even Marquis Conforta—though they were the enemy—couldn’t help but feel impressed.

‘Which kingdom possesses knights like these? The Danas Federation? Or Edina?’

He considered possibilities based on their scale and boldness, but none fit.

Even the serpent-like emblem engraved on their clothing was unfamiliar.

Meanwhile, Negis made her decision.

“If it’s northwest, there’s no need to worry. More importantly, the Master’s battle may take a little longer.”

Together with Calsios, her gaze shifted toward the entrance of the valley at the far edge of the formation.

A vortex far larger than the earlier water tempest was swirling violently.

Of course, the forces colliding within it were something ordinary people would not easily sense.

Then, a terrifying explosion burst from the center of the vortex.

Kwaaang—!

.

.

.

The vortex, which looked as though it might reach the end of the sky, disappeared completely.

Beneath it, Raion—his white armor torn in several places—and Malphas—whose body had been shredded—faced each other.

From his wings down to his body, huge gashes were scattered everywhere.

“How… did you break through my power…?”

“Whew~! If I hadn’t noticed, even I would’ve been completely fooled.”

“What do you mean?”

Just moments ago, Raion had blasted his aura outward from the center of the vortex with all his strength.

It might have been a reckless move.

But he had a reason.

‘An illusion with substance…’

Every monster that had appeared since the vortex began had been fake.

Malphas had used illusions to deceive him and drain his strength.

“Hiding inside the illusion and waiting for an opening—was it comfortable?”

“……”

Hit right on the mark, Malphas momentarily lost his words.

“And those wounds aren’t even real injuries for you, are they?”

“Tch…!”

At that moment, the gashes all over Malphas’s body vanished.

He had been acting, all while still possessing plenty of strength.

“That power must be quite a headache for your kind, isn’t it?”

The blade Raion held gleamed with the aura of White Lightning Flash.

With Concentration added, the thin layer coating the blade seemed capable of cutting through anything.

At the same time, Malphas’s expression darkened slightly.

Was it because something that shouldn’t have been revealed was now exposed?

Or because he was concerned about what was about to come?

“I do not know how a human acquired that power… but it is certain you will not be able to withstand it in the end.”

With those words, Malphas rose into the air.

“Running away?”

“Let’s say a pressing matter has arisen. Ah, if you meet Decarsen, convey my regards.”

With a flap of his large wings, Malphas’s figure shot up into the sky.

Raion considered chasing but stopped his step.

‘For now, resolving the current situation takes priority.’

It had been the same with Decarsen.

When fighting demons, he considered it fortunate enough if others were not dragged into the battle.

With powers exceeding those of humans, ordinary people might die if caught in the aftermath.

He did not know how long he could continue fighting this way, but all he could do was continue as far as possible.

“More importantly, is everything above handled?”

Raion opened a perception screen.

Dots colored red filled the area above the valley.

Since color alone didn’t distinguish allies from enemies, he tapped them one by one to check.

“Looks like the formation was completely destroyed.”

To know for certain, he had to go up himself.

Soon, Raion sheathed his sword and leaped toward the upper side of the valley.

Rasfer and Spessen continued moving northwest with their knights and mages in tow.

After crossing several ridges, the formation they had abandoned was no longer visible.

Naturally, the journey this far had not been easy.

Since the Rolarsen Mountains were one of the monster gathering zones, they had run into orcs and werewolves several times on the way.

“Kh….”

A sigh escaped him in frustration.

Two territories of the Mineta Kingdom had joined hands and even provided troops.

On top of that, he had obtained a princess acknowledged as the rightful heir.

There could not have been a more perfect opportunity.

“My prince, are you all right?”

“Don’t bother with that—how much farther do we have to go!”

Rasfer was furious, blaming the situation that had ruined everything.

In response, Spessen unfolded a map and compass.

“To reach a safe place, we’ll have to cross the rest of the mountain range and pass through the Neju Territory of the Boluzan Kingdom.”

“What? Neju? How long will that take?”

“Since we must cross the rest of the mountains on foot, at the very least, four days.”

Rasfer’s brow furrowed deeply.

But he couldn’t keep complaining forever.

What mattered now was regaining enough strength to reorganize and crafting an excuse to present to the kingdom.

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