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The tax on Jenis and Jeongjae’s territory in the Southern region brought significant changes across the entire land. With overwhelming strength from the Southern Alliance entering, the Vampire Army also needed to respond accordingly. Under the command of the Vampire Lord, Kulbolts and Goblins were beginning to swarm into the south through the No Man’s Land Mountain Range.

The ‘bandit’ groups of Goblins and Kulbolts had been occupying the mountains for quite some time, but this time, with special orders and support from the Vampire Lord, the Goblins appeared mounted on wolves, while the Kulbolts rode somewhat smaller wilddogs, resembling a cavalry force of several thousand.

Orcs, despite their large physique and great strength, struggled with mountain treks more than ordinary humans due to their size. However, the Goblin bandit group, with its mobility, effortlessly navigated the rough mountain terrain, making them a formidable foe for humanity regardless of their numbers.

Naturally, Count Koesernis issued a state of emergency and mobilized an entire battalion for territorial defense. However, the Goblin bandit group, known for being a significant threat even among the allied forces, avoided direct encounters with Koesernis’s troops and began to sweep through the side territories by circumventing the baron’s land.

For the Southern Alliance, with only about 200 skilled cavalry, facing bandits that outnumbered them by several legions was a troublesome predicament, surpassing even the flying vampires.

The bigger issue was that if they allowed the Goblins to penetrate too deeply, they would have to face attacks simultaneously from the vampires pouring in from the west and the Goblins descending from the east, effectively resulting in a two-front war.

Count Koesernis, expressing sincere apologies, sent a message stating that even a thousand troops were insufficient to protect the territory, much less cooperate actively for an offensive siege.

Duke Jeffrey, leading a legion, also faced a situation where the territory was too expansive to defend, and the value of the food resources needed protection, thus unable to spare support troops of over a hundred.

With concerns that if the conflict intensified, Count Harker and the territories under his influence could be sandwiched and destroyed from east and west, Arthur Harker made a decision.

“I feel bad for asking you to do something unreasonable. But I believe that the two of you can handle it.”

The Count, with a deeply grave expression, patted Jeongjae’s shoulder. Jeongjae shrugged in an attempt to reassure the Count.

“I’ve done similar things before. This time, without the Kraken, it might even be an easier fight.”

“Then that’s a relief. My daughter’s skills have surely improved compared to before.”

“There’s no comparison. It’s like a baby leopard now.”

Count Harker maintained the existing troop formations and concentrated all the alliance’s troops he had gathered on the defense of the western outpost. Instead, he decided to evacuate all the civilians from the exposed eastern territories and positioned just Jeongjae and Jenis, along with a few others, in the abandoned territories along the bandits’ route to eliminate the enemy.

While Jeongjae thought the plan was somewhat reckless, considering how much Jenis’s abilities had improved recently, it didn’t seem like an impossible fight.

Two wizards, clad in similar blue robes, quietly waited in the empty territory’s center for the enemies to arrive.

“It’s about time, Professor.”

Jenis murmured, looking into the crystal at the tip of her staff with a grim expression. Jeongjae, anxious, shifted his feet and glanced around.

“Could they be trying to bypass us, knowing this is an empty territory? There’s no need for them to fight us to pass through.”

“Just a moment. I’ll take a look, so wait a bit…”

The Great Sage’s scouting eye was more adept at observing the current rather than glimpsing the future. Especially when examining the movements of an army up close, nothing could compare to such an artifact.

As Jenis carefully studied the crystal, her face turned stern as she gestured to Jeongjae.

“Professor, could you take a look at this.”

“Did you find something?”

“The enemy has no intention of bypassing here. No, they have already begun a siege maneuver. This isn’t typical bandit movement.”

At Jenis’s words, Jeongjae scrutinized the state around the territory revealed by the red crystal.

Jenis’s judgment was right. The sight of Goblins riding wolves moving to encircle the entire territory was unusual. Their movements were quite sharp compared to ordinary Goblins or Kulbolts, and even in relation to the Orcs that belonged to the Demon King’s Army, it was impressive.

Jeongjae tore his gaze from the crystal and looked at Jenis.

“Who’s commanding this army?”

“Just a moment. If I zoom in, I should be able to see…”

Jenis manipulated the crystal as if handling a tablet computer. Jeongjae thought she might quickly learn how to use a smartphone if he handed her one.

“Here it is. There’s a Goblin shaman among them.”

On the screen that Jenis showed was a Goblin wearing a bizarre feathered hat, holding a staff adorned with numerous bells, directing the surrounding beasts from atop a large wolf.

“It’s been a while since I ran into a Goblin shaman.”

“Didn’t you come across them often during the war?”

“You know me. I jumped into the battlefield; how would I encounter mere Goblin shamans?”

At Jeongjae’s words, Jenis nodded in understanding. Goblins weren’t exactly rare creatures, but among them, those who could cast proper spells were rarer than Liches.

After all, should one clash with someone of Jeongjae’s level, they would unconditionally be defeated and die. It wouldn’t be wise for the Demon King’s Army to pit a valuable resource like a Goblin shaman directly against a hero party.

“By the way, a siege operation… They’re not hiding their traces despite having a shaman with them. What if we just haul them all and burn them?”

“That’s a feasible method. However, if we respond that way every time the enemy attacks, this territory will soon have nothing left. We should avoid calamities as much as possible.”

“Right, right. Enemies will flood in from all sides. We should aim to finish quickly and head west.”

“The most crucial thing is not to allow enemies to bypass us while we’re fooling around.”

“Getting that far is no small task. But let’s give it a try.”

Jenis drew an Elven longsword from her waist and took a combat-ready stance. Jeongjae, holding the Wind Blade in both hands, looked at Jenis’s sword in surprise.

“I know that sword.”

“Of course you do. It’s a gift directly from the Elven Princess.”

“You two are actually on good terms, aren’t you?”

“Good terms? What are you talking about? Human relationships can’t be easily defined even with an Elven sword.”

No sooner had Jenis completed her statement than the troupe of wolves and wilddogs began thumping the ground, charging in from all directions. The sounds of barking dogs, the growls of wolves, the cackling laughter of Goblins, and the clashing of weapons echoed in the air.

The sight of a bandit group easily surpassing several hundred was still a hair-raising scene for Jeongjae, who was just an ordinary person until three years ago.

While the Goblins were shorter than an average human, the height from the back of a wolf certainly exceeded human height. For Kulbolts riding wilddogs, they were a bit lower than Jeongjae but still appeared somewhat taller than Jenis.

However, Jenis, who had been terrified of Orcs in her first battle in Harriet’s territory, was no longer here. While Jeongjae pondered about where to strike first with the Wind Blade, Jenis boldly dashed forward, swinging her sword.

“Professor, do you know?”

“What do I know?”

“It’s basic to take down the mounts first when fighting bandits.”

The blade wielded by the Great Sage cleanly severed the neck of a wolf. As the leading Goblin fell from its wolf, Jenis swung her staff with force and smashed the Goblin’s skull.

Seeing Jenis simultaneously slice down three wolves that followed, Jeongjae nodded his approval.

“Ah, if it’s to that extent, even I know…”

As Jeongjae believed the enemies had approached sufficiently, he tossed the Wind Blade in a low position like a sidearm throw.

The blade spun like a boomerang and flew forward, slicing through the wolves blocking the way at the height of their spread.

The swirling wind blade turned several wolves into chopped meat before returning to Jeongjae’s hand, having finished its task.

“This is quite a well-trained army.”

Jeongjae observed how the bandits advanced without losing momentum, even after their lead force was wiped out. While Jenis silently battled the wolves and Goblins, she suddenly stepped back and began counting the number of Goblins.

“One, ten, hundred, thousand…”

“What are you doing when we’re so busy?”

Jeongjae, having shot down a charging Goblin with Takkin magic, watched Jenis’s actions with a puzzled expression. Jenis, furrowing her brows, wiped the blood off her staff’s crystal. A strange dread washed over her.

The number of enemy troops visible to Jenis was too low. Casting a glance at the screen from the crystal, she tapped Jeongjae’s shoulder and let out a deep sigh.

“Just as I feared. Half of the enemy troops have begun to bypass Kirigis Baron’s domain and head north. Their speed is quite fast. If we don’t catch up quickly, all the northeastern territories might be left defenseless against the bandits.”

“Then it’s not the time to be here idling. We need to quickly get out of here and capture the enemy’s lead.”

If they did that, the Kirigis territory would be entirely defenseless in the meantime, but at least there were no living people or valuables remaining here.

On the other hand, the units using flanking maneuvers through the Alliance’s gaps posed a real threat to human life. Naturally, tracking them down was far more important than dealing with the Goblins surrounding this territory just to hold the two wizards.

“That sounds… not easy.”

“What is it now?”

“The Goblin shaman has erected a barrier over this entire territory. It’s intended to prevent anything from exiting.”

“Just a Goblin’s barrier? There’s no way we can’t break it with just the two of us.”

Jeongjae raised his hand with an exasperated expression and unleashed the powerful ‘Light of Stars’ spell. The vibrant blue beam shot into the sky but was blocked by an invisible barrier that had gone unnoticed till then.

“What the…?”

Jeongjae muttered in disbelief as his spell was thwarted. Jenis, with a determined expression, killed the two approaching Goblins.

“Even a weak shaman can create a potent barrier with enough sacrifices. Do you know what this incantation is?”

“Ah, damn it.”

Jeongjae nodded as he discerned the strange movements of the surrounding Goblins. The bandit troop, which had initially charged in with the intent to stomp the wizards, now seemed uninterested in killing the two, beginning to scatter around the territory instead.

With the enemy’s intentions clear as they played a game of tag, Jeongjae could certainly sense the Goblin shaman’s foolish tricks.

“All the Goblins and wolves in here are mediums for this magic. If we don’t injure them, we won’t be able to break the spell.”

“We need to hurry. The option to burn the entire territory is no longer viable. The barrier’s power is too strong, and if your fire magic gets poured over us, our lives will be at risk as well.”

“We have no choice but to find each one and kill them.”

“Then let’s hurry. If we delay, many lives will be in danger.”

Exchanging glances, Jeongjae and Jenis split to the left and right. Jeongjae’s hope that today might allow for a relatively easy slaughter and siege had gone up in smoke.

 

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