Chapter 123
Chapter 123 – Kingdom (3)
‘If only I could use Grand Magic…’
In the midst of a fierce battlefield, Rasen bit his lip. The Great Abyss dug by the Bugs was wide enough for hundreds to fight together, but it wasn’t enough for him to cast Grand Magic.
So, Rasen didn’t hold back and unleashed regular magic, fighting alongside the others.
The battle against the Bugs had reached a point where you couldn’t count the number of skirmishes; the boy who used to be nervous and scared before entering actual combat was no longer there.
Even though he didn’t want to get used to it, he had no choice – the din of the battlefield had become familiar, and Rasen was steadily supporting his allies with reliable firepower.
“Nice. This is easy to fight.”
Shura, holding two daggers made of white bone, stepped forward and swiftly dispatched multiple enemies including Bugs, then turned to Rasen with a grin. He was feeling just how comfortable it was to fight alongside a mage he could coordinate with.
With this kind of fighting, it seemed like the skirmish in this nest would end without crisis soon enough.
“Watch out, incoming!”
It was then that Rasen spotted the enemy: a new variant swinging its spear wildly.
When those caught in the shockwave recoiled in fear, Rasen’s eyes widened as he saw his brother, Rakum, engaged in a frontal battle with the creature.
‘Strong!’
Rasen could see that it was indeed strong. It didn’t falter even against the capable Rakum, relentlessly pressing the attack. But as Rakum grew accustomed to its moves, he began to push back, yet the variant wouldn’t fall easily and kept looking for an opportunity.
‘I… I have to help.’
Rasen was convinced he had to assist. He still had plenty of mana left, and he just happened to have a spell that could be useful.
“Cast it. I’ll cover you.”
Understanding Rasen’s intent, Shura nodded while protecting him from other foes. The stage was set, so there was no reason to hesitate. Rasen quickly grabbed his staff and cast a spell to save his brother.
The magic shot forth like a flash of lightning, piercing through all enemies in its path and plowing directly into the target.
“!!!”
The Bug that had parried Rakum’s spear was hit by the magic coming from the side, causing it to drop its spears and stumble. Rakum turned to look at Rasen, eyes wide with surprise at the unexpected help.
That was a mistake.
“Rasen!”
The creature’s back split open, and without heeding Rakum’s shout, it unfurled its wings and shot down to the ground. Wielding its remaining spear, it charged towards Rasen without hesitation, aiming to stab him in the throat.
“Ugh!”
The spear was deflected by Shura’s blade, narrowly missing Rasen’s head.
But immediately after, the creature recovered the spear and rained blows on Shura, who charged at it. Shura managed to swiftly strike off one of its arms with a quick attack spell.
“Cough!”
But the exposed body was slammed by the flailing arm as Shura’s eyes widened in shock, sending him flying a distance away. Thanks to his armor, he wasn’t severely injured, but he felt nauseous and was momentarily knocked out of the battle.
In that brief moment, the creature swung its spear again, targeting Rasen’s life with its three remaining arms.
Rasen, using teleportation magic, tried to get to safety, but the creature relentlessly chased him down, determined to claim his life.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“—!!!!”
At that moment, Rakum’s spear simultaneously pierced through the creature’s chest. The creature, spewing bodily fluids, let out a grotesque cry as it staggered. In the process, Rakum was scratched and bleeding from the creature’s flailing limbs.
“Die already!”
Immediately after, Rasen, gritting his teeth, cast his last spell directly at the struggling creature’s head.
The squirming stopped only after the blazing fireball exploded against its skull, and the exhausted brothers stumbled to the ground.
‘Was it trying to escape somehow?’
At this point, Riena, who had rushed to bring reinforcements, finally arrived. After dispatching the Monsters trying to crawl out of the nest, she was left speechless seeing the state of the injured warriors.
“We can’t afford to let our guard down, or we may end up in danger.”
Rakum, out of breath and gasping for air after downing a potion, forced a weak smile in response to her serious expression.
Thus, the ongoing battle in the northern region was steadily ramping up in difficulty as the Monsters got stronger with the acquisition of items and skills.
“The wind…”
“It’s the Wind of Healing!”
As they breached the nest and came outside, the wind imbued with healing power blew, wrapping around their wounds and restoring their health.
The soldiers helped the injured and collected the deceased while cheering towards the sky, knowing their Guardian Deity was well aware of how fiercely they had fought and how much they had sacrificed.
“Those kinds will definitely keep coming. The larger ones and the stronger ones have been appearing with increasing frequency since their first appearance.”
“Well, if they’re that strong, they probably can’t be too numerous.”
Riena shook her head at Rakum’s comment. Even if they weren’t numerous, the sheer scale of the Bugs made them a lethal threat.
“Later, after more time has passed… Will we truly be able to stop them with our own strength then?”
“If it’s impossible, we will find a way. Not just us, but that person too.”
Though Rakum’s voice carried a hint of despair, Riena remained resolute. Knowing that the source of strength was strong faith, Rakum nodded in agreement.
*
“Hold on a little longer. We’re almost… there!”
At a time when fierce battles were raging throughout the Grassland.
Having set off a few days ago and nearly collapsed from exhaustion, Rihar shouted as he spotted something. The tribe members who had come in response to his message found him.
“Why in the world did the kingdom’s mage venture this deep into the Grasslands!? How did you not get caught by the others!”
“I don’t have the energy for explanations right now. Just take me to a safe place. Huff.”
They didn’t know about the kingdom’s secret project, but as they assisted Rihar, they tilted their heads in confusion.
Rihar was just following orders; he hastily mumbled vague replies, thinking it best not to divulge anything about the project or the Arin Tribe at this moment.
“Quickly, we must return to the kingdom.”
Rihar, switching horses haphazardly, continued riding south across the Grassland. Once more taking to the skies to speed up his message, Rihar’s crow soared across the firmament.
Letting the winds guide him, the crow flew straight towards the castle walls that were faintly appearing ahead.
It was the fortress built to defend Rihar’s homeland and the border.
“Ughh… What’s with this crow?”
On top of the fortress, a guard, who had been yawning idly, did a double-take at the crow that landed in front of him and chuckled.
As a mere soldier, he had no talent for distinguishing a mage’s familiar.
“Royal Mage Rihar! Prepare to open the gate and summon the Commander!”
“Eek!!”
However, the soldier flinched and stumbled back as the crow began spouting human words. The crow kept pecking at his helmet until he moved.
“What are you dawdling for! Do you want to lose your head!? Hurry up! We’re almost there!”
“Y-yes, right away!”
The soldier, spurred on by the crow’s incessant urging, raced towards his superiors. Since it was rare to find a mage capable of handling a familiar, they were less likely to suspect a lie, so the fortress commanders hurriedly prepared to open the gate.
“I am Commander Robert, entrusted with overseeing this area. It would be wise for you to take a moment to rest, Mage.”
“I can’t afford to rest… But I suppose I must. Just a brief respite before I leave.”
Upon arriving inside the fortress, Rihar gazed at his trembling hands and sighed. It wasn’t just his hands – not having slept properly for days while galloping about had left his whole body feeling off.
Although he had learned to ride like the native tribes while moving with them across the Grassland, he still couldn’t match their stamina.
“What in the world happened among those Barbarian tribes?”
“A lot happened… One thing’s certain, we were acting under royal orders.”
Rihar couldn’t carelessly brush off Commander Robert’s statement since, from the perspective of someone ignorant of the situation, he probably looked suspicious himself.
Robert nodded, flinching at the mention of royal orders.
“Speaking of which, I’ve heard from the Mute tribe’s intelligence that there have been several fierce battles occurring in the central and eastern parts of the Grassland recently. Is that related to what’s going on?”
“Can you gather such information from inside the fortress?”
“Hah! It becomes quite possible using those below me.”
Rihar was surprised when Commander Robert demonstrated awareness of Luke’s ongoing conquest in the Grassland. Seeing his astonished expression, Robert laughed heartily and pointed to the ground beneath the fortress.
Below, those tribe members who accompanied Rihar this far were trading something with the people inside the fortress.
“Those uncivilized barbarians have many needs. They’re even willing to fight fiercely over something as trivial as a single sword.”
Chuckling, Robert touched the sword he bore.
In truth, they were using trade as bait to enlist the nearby tribes under their command.
“If we train them well, they can serve as hunting dogs to deter those who dare to plunder our kingdom. At least their warriors are formidable when it comes to fighting on horseback.”
“Serious matters are occurring in the Grassland… We should be prepared.”
“Hmm, so they really are trying to unite?”
At Rihar’s warning, Robert furrowed his brow.
Despite looking down on them, he understood that if those with excellent combat capabilities united their strength, they would be challenging to deal with.
“Such movements are apparent, but even so, there’s something even more pressing.”
“I don’t understand. If those barbarians aren’t banding together to plunder, what could they possibly want?”
“Not plundering! Something far more important and sacred… Ugh.”
Rihar’s patience wore thin at Robert’s prejudice, and he had to force his mouth shut. He couldn’t reveal all the truths to a mere commander right now.
Sooner or later, he’d go to the center and convey this reality to the king and his ministers. They would surely follow him after he relayed this information.
‘Who exactly are they, and how vital their work is. I must let everyone know.’
He carefully checked the letter he was keeping close to his heart.
Delivering the letter written directly by Balun to the king was a matter of utmost urgency, one he had to undertake risking his life.
“!!! What is this!”
Just then, Rihar’s eyes widened as he felt a warm energy wrap around him and looked up at the sky, or rather, the ceiling.
His body, which had seemed devoid of normality, was instantly restored. The only being he knew capable of such miracles was one.
