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The Special Forces were bewildered.

Wait. Just a moment.

It wasn’t because of the enormous giant, bigger than any common monster, nor the fortress’ supporting attacks, barely landing nearby, nor even the delayed troops from the fortress that were now taking advantage of the chaos caused by the Special Forces to rush into battle.

“KIYAAAAAAAH!!!”

“AAAAAAAAAAAH!!!”

“Are you kidding me!? What’s with this toughness!?”

Hearing the exclamation of a knight who couldn’t hold back his frustration, everyone in the Special Forces agreed in their hearts.

To be honest, it was annoying.

The battle itself wasn’t a big deal.

Sure, the combat prowess of the metallic-armored Grizzly Beavers was considerable, but at the end of the day, it was just bronze weapons and armor.

Compared to the countless battles they experienced before, it seemed lackluster.

The high-level Undead they had faced up to this point were stronger, and those Ice Trolls swinging logs they had previously faced were like toothpicks compared to these Grizzlies.

Yet, the Grizzly Beavers were charging in with their lives on the line against the Special Forces.

Countless Grizzly Beavers impaled by spears refused to let go, holding on to the spears, while those who lost their spears and shields swung swords at the knights even after being slashed.

When their tails got severed and they lost their balance, they would smash right into the Adventurer Party. Even when mortally wounded, they would still gnaw at their foes, fighting back until almost decapitated.

“Somehow, I feel like we’ve become the bad guys…?”

“What foolish thoughts are those while fighting monsters!?”

“Geez! I thought this would be over easily!”

Of course, as mentioned earlier, this was merely a struggle.

The combat power of the armed Grizzly Beavers temporarily confused the Special Forces, but for that price, they couldn’t even draw out meaningful time, being defeated six at a time.

The peak power of the Special Forces.

Richard, Baston, and Gordon were in a similar fighting state.

“Baron Bolton! Why are you dragging this out!?”

“Why is it taking so long, you youngsters!!!”

“Ugh! Please wait a moment!”

Throwing rocks, swinging his rock sword, and erecting or collapsing rock walls, Gomot, with his body riddled with cracks, had long since smashed his left arm to the ground.

His armor had been broken ages ago. The heir, bearing large and small wounds across his fur, brandished an obsidian magic sword, disregarding death as he grappled with Gordon.

And Drew had no choice but to witness all of this.

From the youngest of his kin to the oldest.

The heir was dying.

He witnessed the downfall of his tribe.

The future that might have flourished for the race was flickering out.

He wanted to end this standoff immediately and save his kin with magic. But he couldn’t do that. If he did, the enemies at the same level would also be freed from their leash.

Having reached that level, Drew understood this better than anyone.

The slow encroachment of destruction would sweep through like the biting wind from beyond the mountains.

That’s why, even as his kin struggled and perished, he held onto a glimmer of hope that wouldn’t arrive.

Soeoooeeeeeen-POOOF!

Even if a longsword infused with aura flew at him.

“KIIYIK!?!?!?”

“Finally!”

The balance that had been teetering took a nosedive with a single attack.

The magical energies of the two Grand Wizards, hitherto restrained, all surged back towards Drew.

“KAHAAAH! Cough! Grawrraaah-!”

Drew felt the life flashing out from his chest and back, from his mouth.

And then he opened his eyes wide.

Boom-!

“You’re being a nuisance!”

The heir’s head was severed.

By the heir’s own sword.

The one who cut off the head ran off with the heir’s sword in hand.

Even after losing the proof of leadership, Drew instinctively extended his hand. Tried to extend it. His arm wouldn’t move.

Instead, the pain of all his muscles and skin tearing apart overwhelmed him. The forced suspension of his rebound and the toll of the countless dark magics he’d used exploded within him.

But the flame glows brightest just before it goes out.

With a sensation he had never experienced before, Drew finally saw his enemy, who had been holding on desperately from above the phantasm Fortress, beyond the blizzard.

He saw the small male cub by its side.

And the enormous weight that covered the entire fortress that the cub bore as well.

How could such a creature exist? Having encountered various dark magics and even a bit of necromancy, Drew was shocked as all his senses opened wide just before death.

He sensed it.

That’s the burden of his kin. The deaths of countless Grizzly Beavers who had died until now and many more to come.

He sensed it.

That cub, no—

That was the root of all this chaos.

The Demon Tribe did not betray them.

“KII-KIYIK-”

‘You, you are…’

The death he had postponed was now trying to drag him down.

But even if his soul were torn to shreds, he couldn’t die now.

Even moving a single finger would unleash unfathomable pain throughout Drew’s body, but he stretched one of his forelegs toward the castle wall.

Hwiioo-oosk—

Rejecting the fate set in stone, he poured all that dusty vitality he could muster into his soul.

The pain and resentment accumulated by his tribe over generations.

In exchange for the obliteration of his own soul, Drew wove the fate of death he was meant to meet, creating a curse out of old age.

“Hum!?”

“This is—”

“What the hell!?”

The three Swordmasters finishing off Gomot also sensed it.

“Madness, why is that thing still alive!”

They all moved as one.

No, they tried to move.

Kuuuuug-!

A towering cliff rose up to block Drew and the three Swordmasters.

-Indeed, so it was! Hahahaha! How frustrating!-

Gomot understood what Drew was trying to bring forth.

Whatever it was, it wouldn’t bode well for the enemy.

He couldn’t allow it to be hindered.

“That ridiculous giant who should have died and revived…!!!”

Of course, the physical prowess of the Swordmasters was no decoration.

A cliff hardly higher than the castle walls of Present could easily be vaulted over with sheer force.

But when the three Swordmasters leapt over the cliff.

‘It is a creature that must not exist.’

Gohhooo-PIISHUUUUUUUUU!!!

The curses had long since been fired.

Drew could no longer feel anything.

The stench of his and his kin’s blood.

The sound of Undead shattering into bits.

The wails of his kin in agony.

The hateful wind from beyond the mountains.

And finally, he caught a glimpse of the cub that was sent flying backward, crushed by a broken shield, struck by the curse, alongside the golden female who had battled against him.

*

*

*

The Undead that had laid siege to the Afterglow Fortress and Present collapsed at that very spot.

It was because the caster had been killed.

While the conclusion to the fierce battles waged day and night was frustratingly lackluster, everyone in the fortress and city had no choice but to drop their weapons and take a breather.

“What the hell, after fighting all night, what kind of nonsense is this?”

“Edmund! Stop babbling nonsense and get that shovel moving!”

Although the battle had ended, the Undead corpses couldn’t be left as they were. If the weather turned warm, the corpses spread across the snowfield would rise again as Undead.

One good thing was that, in the Highland region, Undead naturally occurred only in the warmest summers.

Of course, even if all the inhabitants of the city and fortress were mobilized, there was no guarantee they could clean up beyond the mountains in time.

Of course.

“Oh, mana stones. Lucky us!”

“I wish! Huh? There are mana stones here too?”

“Hey! All the Undead here have mana stones!”

“Oh, my God!!!”

Considering the greed involved, the situation changed dramatically.

Of course, ignorance is bliss.

Though most would later rage at the reality of these low-grade stones not even worth the price of drinks, right now, they were all witnessing a rare fortune.

However, guests began to gather in other places too.

“Madness! An Owlbear!”

“Retreat! Retreat! Where are the Adventurers!?!?!?!?”

Hungry monsters and beasts targeting relatively intact corpses.

Initially, a battle broke out.

But soon, everyone realized.

The corpses at the scene were more than sufficient for all to be satisfied (?).

Before long, the battlefield guests began to ignore each other like they were just casual passersby.

In any case, men and women of all ages from Present focused on organizing the scene.

And Catherine was doing the same.

“…”

“…Um, Sir Atanitas?”

“Quiet!”

At those words, Karem, bare from the waist up, raised his head and stood with his arms open. Catherine glanced at Karem and touched parts of his body.

Catherine was serious.

A sudden situation that even she couldn’t brush aside was at hand.

Blocking such a curse without any countermeasures, this child used his shield.

No, since the shock had broken the shield, he was in effect cursed.

But there was no energy emanating.

Thus, Catherine felt a heightened seriousness as she sensed the mana.

The dampness that could arise from anywhere was the most representative characteristic of dark magic.

‘Prepare brisket with pepper and salt, slowly smoked for eight hours— the ingredients for clam chowder are fresh clams and cream, onion, bacon—’

Conversely, Karem felt like he was dying.

In a more different sense.

Fine, soft fingers without a trace of calluses swept over his body. After an hour of being undressed, he distinctly felt the warmth of the hands against his cold body.

Moreover, Catherine’s hair and face were still moist from her quick wash after coming down from the fortress.

Adding to that, the decadence embedded in her face, steeped in fatigue, was utterly lethal to Karem, who had never had anything to do with women in his past life.

Moreover, every time Catherine moved about, the gentle and soft aroma wafting from her easily shook the fortress he had been building for the past year.

Of course, he knew she was worried.

To be honest, if there wasn’t even a hint of gratitude, he wasn’t human.

What employer in the world would think of the health of their lower staff like this?

At least, to Karem, Catherine was the first.

However, the situation and conditions, oh, just—.

Maintaining calm and concentration alone was his limit.

Karem felt he had never been so proud of himself in his life.

Amidst this, Karem locked eyes with Gordon.

Gordon, standing behind Catherine, grinned mischievously, continuously raising his eyebrows and giving sly winks. He felt a sudden surge of emotions.

“…What’s this? Mercenary. Reveal the meaning of that gaze.”

“No, I was just watching.”

“Right. Now, what are those feelings behind that gaze?”

“Well, I’m not sure. Are you feeling something prickly?”

“Shut it!”

“Ouch—”

Starting from a kick imbued with mana, Gordon began darting around, dodging Catherine’s petite attacks.

Karem lowered his head, hiding his reddened face under his clothes.

Mary was still casting a subtle glance.

“Am I allowed to step outside the fortress now?”

“…Since the contractor allowed it, certainly.”

“Yes! Mammoth!”

Karem rushed out of Catherine’s room in a hurry, as if being chased.

Amidst the chaos stirred by the Grand Wizard’s unilateral fury, Mary tilted her head slightly.

“A mammoth?”

There had indeed been several mammoths sighted beneath the fortress.

But still, they were Undead, right?

…Though they were intact as corpses, could it be?

Mary closed her eyes for a moment.

And predicted Karem’s next actions.

“Oh my, Titania.”

Mary dashed out the door in a flash.

 

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