Chapter 178: Whose Fault Is It (3)

Rasfer and Spessen, who were walking along the ridge of the Rolarsen Mountains, were forced to stop abruptly when an arrow suddenly flew toward them.

“An ambush?”

Stepping forward, Spessen stood protectively in front of Rasfer and scanned the surroundings.

Over the hill ahead, he could see people’s heads.

They weren’t coming any closer.

“So, they’re not going to let us pass?”

He murmured quietly while counting heads.

Roughly thirty people… As long as there weren’t any who matched him in skill, it wasn’t a problem.

With that thought, Spessen entrusted Rasfer to two nearby knights and one mage, then dashed forward.

Tatadadada!

The distance was about two hundred paces.

Then, another volley of arrows flew.

Not just one this time—dozens of them came flying at once toward where Rasfer stood.

Spessen, who was charging toward the enemies, shouted urgently.

“Knights, block the front! Mage, deploy your shield!”

At his command, the knights and mage moved instantly.

In front of them, a blue barrier formed as the 2nd Circle defensive magic, Energy Shield, unfolded.

Papapapak—!

Arrows flying fast poured down against it.

Meanwhile, Spessen ran as fast as he could to reach the enemies.

“Aaagh!”

A scream suddenly rang out from behind, forcing Spessen to stop mid-step.

They should’ve blocked the arrows with Energy Shield.

But the knights and the mage protecting Rasfer had collapsed, struck by arrows.

“What the hell happened?”

Each of them had at least four arrows embedded in their arms, legs, and torsos.

He couldn’t understand what was going on.

Then, another wave of arrows was fired.

Spessen had no choice but to turn around and rush back.

Tatadadadada—!

He reached Rasfer’s side and struck the incoming arrows away with his sword.

Cha-cha-chang! Cha-cha-cha-chang!

Arrows ricocheted helplessly off the trajectory imbued with aura, falling to the ground around them.

“Your Highness, are you all right?”

“I’m fine! But how did those arrows pierce the shield?”

“They pierced it?”

Feeling something was off, Spessen picked up one of the arrows lying on the ground.

“This is… Steeloud?”

Steeloud—a rare type of wood that absorbed mana.

It was known for its high mana concentration and transmission rate, often used to craft mage staves.

Naturally, no sane person would make arrows out of such a rare and precious material.

Yet, that was exactly what Spessen was holding.

And there were at least fifty or sixty of those arrows scattered on the ground.

“Who in the world would do something this insane…?”

The mage’s Energy Shield had been nullified the moment the Steeloud arrows struck it, as the mana was absorbed and the magic dispelled.

Neither the mage nor the knights could have possibly anticipated that—hence, they were caught off guard.

With the escort knights and mage taken out in the first attack, Spessen couldn’t leave his position.

And even he couldn’t keep deflecting arrows forever.

He could only pray that the enemy’s supply of those ridiculously expensive arrows had run out with that volley.

Shwaaaaaaak!

But before such a prayer could even finish forming, another barrage came flying.

“Damn it!”

Cha-cha-chang! Cha-cha-cha-chang!

He surrounded his sword with aura to increase its speed.

At the same time, the Steeloud arrows that collided with his blade absorbed his aura.

The already-injured knights and mage were struck by the deflected arrows and lost their lives.

Now, only Rasfer and Spessen remained.

“Your Highness, we need to change direction and flee!”

The surroundings were full of dry trees, offering little cover.

Rasfer was pinned beneath the corpse of a fallen knight.

At Spessen’s words, his face twisted.

But there was no other choice.

Gritting his teeth, Rasfer quickly crawled out and began to run.

The rain of arrows didn’t stop—it poured down again.

Papapapapak—!

The enemy even adjusted the tempo of their shooting, as if mocking them.

“Grrrrraaaagh!”

Spessen, who had never once lost his composure, turned red with fury.

If he could just close the distance, he wanted to tear them apart with his bare hands.

But the enemy kept just far enough away, fueling his anger even more.

“S-Spessen… are you all right?”

Even Rasfer could tell something was terribly wrong.

This was practically a war—

and their enemies were toying with them openly.

With resolve burning in his eyes, Spessen looked at Rasfer.

“Forgive me, Your Highness.”

He lifted Rasfer into his arms and unleashed his aura.

A white aura, rippling like flames, wrapped around his body as he kicked off the ground.

Paaak—! Bang!

With a heavy sound, Spessen’s figure shot northward.

.

.

.

The ones shooting arrows from afar quietly watched as their targets disappeared in an instant.

One of the archers then turned to Dejir Malon, who stood beside him, and asked softly.

“What should we do?”

The archers belonged to the Slingbow Unit trained in Kanas.

Each of them held a slingbow made from high orc sinew.

Thanks to that, they could hit targets accurately even from two hundred paces away.

“Hm… Which direction did they go?”

“North. At that rate, they’ll escape through the edge of the Rolarsen Mountains.”

“Then… let them go.”

“Is that all right?”

Their orders had been to take responsibility for any enemies escaping to the north or northwest.

If what was seen through the telescope was correct, the current enemies were none other than the Prince Rasfer of the Moratz Kingdom and Knight Commander Spessen Akraden—both core figures.

They were people who absolutely could not be allowed to escape, no matter what anyone thought.

At his subordinate’s startled question, Dejir stared straight at him.

“Do you want to catch them yourself?”

“Why would I do that, sir? You should be the one to step up.”

“He’s stronger than me.”

“Then are you just going to let them run?”

“The Master said not to overdo it, so it’s fine.”

“This time… it seems like you should overdo it.”

The soldiers quietly watching from around them all nodded at the same time.

Still, Dejir didn’t seem to care. He just held the telescope and silently watched the two figures getting farther away.

“Guess he’s scared.”

“He’s a Sword Master though, isn’t he? What could scare him?”

“The Captain’s a beginner! That knight commander over there is advanced! Of course he’s scared.”

At the murmuring voices of the unit members, Dejir shifted his gaze for a moment, then stopped.

“Ahem! Ahem! Ah~! Nice weather, huh?”

“Looks like rain to me, sir.”

“……”

Ku-goong—! Flash!

Dark clouds had gathered before anyone noticed, followed by thunder and lightning.

The rain began to fall in a steady drizzle, quickly soaking the battlefield that had turned into utter chaos.

Shwaaaaa—!

Marquis Conforta, who had been surrounded, saw the soldiers blocking his front part ways.

Through the gap, Raion appeared, walking slowly forward, his red hair drenched and dripping.

At the same time, Negis and Calsios, standing to his left and right, as well as all soldiers dressed in the same uniform, bowed their heads.

“You’ve arrived, Master.”

Just those two words carried a heavy weight.

From that alone, Marquis Conforta could tell what kind of existence this red-haired man was to them.

Yet, even as Raion stood before him, he said nothing—only looked silently.

Then Raion spoke first.

“Where is Princess Deborah?”

“She fled west in haste, but she’s gathering the troops and should arrive soon.”

“She’s safe?”

“I’ve heard she’s unharmed.”

“That’s a relief.”

Having confirmed what he needed to know first, Raion now met Marquis Conforta’s eyes.

“Did you truly believe this was the way to save the Mineta Kingdom?”

“…I have nothing to say. Do as you will.”

“Did you not hear what I said earlier? I mentioned Princess Deborah. Surely you have something you want to say.”

“You’re just trying to seize Mineta’s throne by using the Princess as a hostage. You’re no different from Prince Rasfer.”

Marquis Conforta had known of Rasfer’s plan from the beginning.

Even so, for the sake of legitimacy—and to punish Harlan Mineta, who had stolen his brother’s place—he had joined the cause.

“Why would I do that? For what reason?”

“You’re shameless. Do you take me for a fool?”

“I’m merely helping my comrade reclaim her rightful position. And of course, that comrade is none other than Princess Deborah, whom you also know.”

“…Comrade?”

“If I had to define our relationship, I’d call it an alliance.”

“Who exactly are you?”

Each of his soldiers fought with overwhelming swordsmanship and strange martial arts, each one worth a hundred men.

And the female commander leading them was both an archer and an aura user.

It was only natural to wonder which country such a group belonged to.

“My name is Raion Canel. Does that ring a bell?”

“Canel? Don’t tell me… the royal family of the Canel Kingdom? Now that I think about it, that name…”

The Marquis suddenly recalled the civil war that had shaken the continent not long ago—an uprising led by a duke of the Canel Kingdom.

Also, Duke Alito Kright’s ability was well-known throughout the continent. He had been the one who oversaw all diplomacy and politics of a kingdom founded through military power, much like Mineta.

Of course, that ambition had only grown until it eventually brought ruin.

Even so, Marquis Conforta couldn’t believe it.

How could Princess Deborah possibly form an alliance with the Canel Kingdom?

Between the Mineta Kingdom and the Canel Kingdom lay both the Dior Empire and the Danas Federation.

It would be nearly impossible for the royal forces of another kingdom to cross those territories without any news reaching the world.

“If what you’re saying is true, isn’t that an even bigger problem? If the Empire and the Federation learn of this, they won’t stand idly by!”

Indeed, if an army had crossed borders, it couldn’t end simply.

Raion knew that well, which was why he had ordered the movement to be kept secret.

But since Marquis Conforta wasn’t aware of that, the sight before him left him only more confused.

“Raion!”

Just then, Deborah, who had fled west, returned with her soldiers.

She didn’t seem injured.

As soon as she saw Raion, she ran to him and threw her arms around him in pure relief.

“You really came all the way here? Truly?”

“Ghk! Your Highness, could you—let go of my neck first before we talk?”

“Oh, sorry.”

Seeing her, Marquis Conforta hurriedly dropped to one knee.

“It’s an honor to see you again, Your Highness.”

He had seen her before, back when she’d been taken hostage by Prince Rasfer.

Back then, he hadn’t been able to greet her properly—

No, he hadn’t dared to, out of guilt for joining a plan tantamount to treason.

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