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“Protect the castle walls immediately!”

The cries of the commanders awakened the sleepy residents of the territory.

After failing to expel the demonic energy for six days, some, including the head of the family, reported horrific illusions. However, the key personnel were able to move with coordination, thanks to the manuals for wartime procedures and appropriate training.

‘The defender is Abel Kalia.’

Although he possessed no mana and was therefore vulnerable to illusions, he was supported by numerous knights and strategists, maintaining a clear mind.

He had already designated a replacement in case he was unable to make proper judgments in an emergency, so while he was a weak man, he wouldn’t significantly falter in his command on the walls. Unlike the flashy Young Master who enjoyed dressing up and attending social events, he was said to have deeply studied tactics.

“Tania, keep a lookout with Elvis.”

“What if enemies appear?”

“Just contain them within the limits of my mana.”

“Got it!”

I entrusted the surroundings to the two spirits.

Managing the outer walls and their endurance was crucial in the role of the defenders.

Shione and I belonged to the suppression team that would eliminate any enemies that had breached the walls; at this moment, since no one had infiltrated yet, our duty was to ensure the evacuation of the residents.

“Direct the pre-established evacuation team to guide the residents to their designated shelters immediately.”

“Understood!”

“The remaining troops should enhance their alertness and report on the intruders while eliminating them.”

At Shione’s concise command, the soldiers sprung into action once more.

Being born into nobility must have its perks; she gave orders with a natural demeanor that surprised me. Unlike the times I saw her running around the battlefield shooting arrows, witnessing Shione standing as a commander felt different.

As I looked at her wearing a quiver on her back, she picked up her treasured bow and asked,

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“It’s nothing. You just seem surprisingly natural giving orders.”

“…Well, I’m a noble. I’m only nice to Ray.”

Thinking about how Shione had been kinder to me lately made this feel… different.

The Shione I first met demanded snacks and cleanliness. She was quite a handful back then. It’s no wonder she couldn’t give orders so effortlessly.

However, my odd expression as I reminisced must have irked her, prompting Shione to give me a teasing glare.

“Ray, that expression is quite irreverent.”

“What’s irreverent? It’s all about Allen Kalia’s thoughts.”

“Everyone can see it clearly. Ugh.”

With that, Shione jabbed her fingers playfully between the gaps in my armor, laughing softly as she prepared herself.

The moment had arrived; her subtle smile faded as she equipped both her bow and sword, securing her hair back and poised to vanish into action.

“The news of the assault on the walls is spreading, and the senior knights in each district will be getting into position. Ray, how’s the reserve squad shaping up?”

“According to our prior arrangement, two platoons, each including three knights, are on standby.”

“Good, let’s deploy them as planned when support requests come in.”

Shione and I were stationed right in front of the inner castle gates, guarding the central area and the last bastion. However, given the time it would take for the enemy to advance this far, it was a district selected by Siabel, who didn’t want to see us bleeding on the battlefield.

‘It feels like a makeshift command center for the suppression team.’

Receiving rapid reports from the commanders of each district, it fell to me to notify the important suppression team about the appearance of Allen Kalia or any formidable enemies.

Being the point of communication between the suppression team and the eradication forces, even if I didn’t draw my sword, my role was undeniably important, which is why Shione stood with her arms crossed, tense and alert.

Just as I expected, not long after the assault had begun, urgent news arrived.

“First barrier, report from the northwest!”

A soldier dismounted, his beautiful silver hair catching my eye as he quickly announced what he had seen.

“The hidden demons have suddenly revealed themselves and are sweeping through the northwest! The magic outside the walls focused its attack there, dealing significant damage!”

“…What’s the current status of the enemy and the damage?”

“The demons have split into the west and north. There’s a breach in the first barrier at the northwest point. The commander is currently holding the line, but due to the sudden attack, it’s impossible to repel all the enemies.”

“Were there dark sorcerers among the demons?”

“Yes, the black sorcerers’ attacks have severely compromised the first barrier.”

“Damn.”

The news brought was not good—far from it. It was a miscalculation on our part to allow demons to infiltrate inside the walls. We had searched and exterminated them several times like catching mice, yet here they were again causing chaos. Still, the fact that their assault succeeded stung painfully.

Moreover, the emergence of Allen’s demons meant the western and northern gates had been prioritized for our troop deployment. The scenario of demons smashing through the first barrier and attacking from the rear of the defenders was not something I could take lightly.

“Did you notify Allen Kalia of the defenders?”

“Yes, not just myself, many others have already sent word.”

Shione glanced at the map of the Marquis family.

Walled defenses encircle the territory with the lord’s castle secured inside. Also, there were two temporary barriers set up between them.

As long as the area beyond the first barrier remained secure, things were manageable, but once the second barrier was breached, the residential and commercial areas would surely face devastation.

Shione communicated with the soldiers.

“Knights stationed in the northwest, if there are significant troop losses, fall back inside the first barrier, and together with the soldiers of the second barrier, ensure that the breached barrier isn’t crossed by the enemies. If possible, restrain the demons attacking from the west and north to prevent further damage.”

“Understood.”

“And have the reserves stationed around the first barrier take action to stabilize the northwest. That way we’ll buy time to recover the barriers.”

Shione’s commands flowed naturally despite the short time she had to think.

Breaking the rhythm of typical warfare required for new strategies, she seemed to have grown in her leadership skills remarkably.

Sometime later, the soldiers reported with urgency.

“Urgent message! We’ve got news!”

“Urgent update!”

There was no time for Shione to rest.

Afterward, she synthesized the opinions of various strategists to lead the suppression team, and things seemed to be progressing relatively well.

However, the battlefield is always filled with variables.

As dawn approached, having spent the majority of our time in the barracks managing events, the sunlight only hinted at the world outside the illuminated entrance.

Whenever exhaustion relaxed our vigilance, drowsiness set in. Even so, the enemies continued their relentless onslaught, and we couldn’t afford to yield to exhaustion.

As the distance from the spirits increased, the mana required to maintain them surged exponentially. Since the walls still stood strong, and confrontations here felt distant, I was reinforcing my energy while planning the dismissal of the spirits.

Just then, Shione’s worried expression abruptly broke free from the drowsiness.

“Are you okay? You’re looking pretty pale.”

“Ray, suddenly I’m sensing an overwhelming unpleasant energy coming from the direction of the walls.”

“An unpleasant energy?”

“Yeah. It’s the same vibe I felt from that Allen Kalia back then.”

“…This is bad.”

I still couldn’t sense anything ominous. Perhaps it was because I hadn’t yet encountered demons or monsters right in front, or maybe Arien’s presence beside me provided a strange sense of security.

Even though I couldn’t feel that bastard’s sinister energy, Shione’s intuition meant calamity was undoubtedly looming.

“That energy—it’s the kind that shows us illusions, right?”

A major variable had appeared on the battlefield.

At that moment, a soldier shouted frantically from outside the barracks.

“The—The walls have been breached! The demons are crawling down…!”

Only a moment ago, the walls were still sturdy. The defenders were maintaining their hold, so why were they falling apart already?

I lifted the cloth blocking the entrance of the barracks and looked at the frightened woman shouting.

Her face was one of shock, clutching her spear tightly. Yet, the valiant soldiers around her, filled with powerful mana, seemed confused, trading unsure glances between her and the walls.

‘Is she seeing illusions?’

I stepped outside the barracks, my gaze drawn to the wall like a terrified woman.

In the end, I had no choice but to express my emotions in a manner completely different from hers.

“…What the hell is that?”

An expletive that couldn’t possibly fit the common language of the continent.

Only upon seeing the shocking scenery atop the walls could I not help but curse.

In the dawn light, the walls were stained with blood. A gigantic human-like creature with spider-like limbs was descending from the walls, while a human figure fell lifelessly from above. The sight was incredibly horrifying.

‘Okay, status window. Where’s the status window?’

Given that events had spiraled into this level of chaos, it would usually be standard for the status window to appear and explain every detail regarding the situation’s survival. Yet, the status window remained silent. If that was the case, I must have entered a mad state myself.

Thus, I called for the status window multiple times to grasp the reality of my circumstances.

‘…The status window isn’t appearing.’

A bizarre phenomenon! I had no idea what was happening; the status window showed no signs of appearing.

“Ray, are you alright?”

Seeing my disturbed expression, Shione approached cautiously by the entrance.

I quickly reentered the barracks, covering the entrance with the fabric again.

If the walls looked like that to my eyes, and the status window remained invisible, it felt as if I had gone completely insane or become entangled in a hallucination.

My exclusive spell cleaner, Shione.

I needed to ascertain whether I had lost my mind or if I had been unknowingly exposed to some minor magic and was thus affected, so I pulled her into an embrace.

“Ugh…?! W-Wait, why so suddenly…!”

“Excuse me for a moment.”

I hugged her tightly so she wouldn’t squirm away.

I placed my chin atop Shione’s head and let her settle there for a bit before finally releasing her.

“The walls—”

The bloodstains that had been abundant and the bizarre phenomena vanished without a trace.

The status window materialized again, ready for me to explore it, but immediately after I had stepped away from Shione, both the status window and her reddened face became distractions that threw my focus off.

“Sudden hugs aren’t allowed in a place like this.”

“Nope.”

“Even if Ray likes me, you have to know the right time and place. What would others think?”

It was clear from her still-blushing cheeks that Shione had been secretly enjoying it.

I shrugged my shoulders lightly.

“Seems like you enjoyed yourself more than anyone else.”

“No, that was because you hugged too tightly—”

Shione began to protest, but I easily ignored her words.

Naturally, I moved beside her, wrapped my arm around her shoulder, and said.

“Well then, it doesn’t matter if I keep hugging now, does it?”

Finally, I could see the distortion of the battlefield and what the status window had birthed.

And then she said.

“…Get off me.”

Shione pushed my arm away and pouted.

“Not the time for that—why not do this more often when the situation allows.”

 

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