chapter_0072

72 – Sinkhole

72 – Sinkhole

The sight of the six families united and advancing slowly was quite a spectacle.

Knights and soldiers from each family, totaling 10,000, marched together.

While 10,000 troops might seem insignificant by the standards of the Three Kingdoms, within the Novarens Empire, it felt like a million-strong army.

Naturally, the soldiers within gained confidence they didn’t have before.

“Aren’t those Cron grasshoppers going to surrender right away when they see this?”

“That would be no fun. Hahaha!”

Even making such remarks, the ordinary soldiers and knights marched with overflowing confidence.

However, the company-commander-level knights, who knew a bit about strategy, sighed.

‘To march with a cavalry-centered knight order mixed among the infantry, is Lord Zelas out of his mind?’

‘If we get hit by a fire attack, we’re all going to die.’

That formation, created not from tactical considerations but from the self-interests of each lord, looked solid but was like obsidian with many cracks.

There was another problem with that formation, which seemed ready to break at any moment.

It was the marching route.

Moving a large army requires numerous factors.

There needs to be space for people to pass through, and a water source must be secured nearby.

Especially for a legion of over 10,000, even more space was needed.

On the way to Cron, there was only one path that such a large army of 10,000 could take: the Dreygon Plains.

Many soldiers were moving slowly, and the route was clear.

When these three factors came together, there was only one conclusion.

The six-family alliance was very vulnerable to traps.

“Any special reports from the scouts?”

“None. Except for a few Cron sentries, there are no other soldiers on the Dreygon Plains.”

“The Magical Power compass?”

“No reaction. Crimson Sorcerer Sharen doesn’t seem to be near here.”

Of course, the six families knew this, so they kept a close watch on Red Mage Sharen’s movements with many scouts and a Magical Power compass.

Fortunately, the Crimson Sorcerer’s Magical Power did not react within the danger radius.

Some allied Magicians and Magicians presumed to be scouts were detected, but the Magic of such ordinary Magicians could not inflict significant damage on this army of 10,000.

“There’s nothing to worry about. Everyone, advance!”

[“Waaaaaaaah!!!!”]

At Lord Tuel’s words, the soldiers all shouted and increased their marching speed.

Lord Cron didn’t like the sight, but he was in the lead, so he tolerated it and moved on.

Thus, the six-family alliance entered the Dreygon Plains.

And that sight was witnessed by Cron’s sentries.

“The six families have entered the Dreygon Plains.”

“Sound the signal.”

Ting-

Cron’s sentry rang the Magical Tool signal bell.

This Magical Tool was a signal notification Magical Tool that rang a connected bell when the bell was rung, and it was often used in the army.

The Magical Tool sent a signal to the bell on Leo’s waist, which was far away.

Ting-

“The signal has arrived. Aron, let’s begin.”

“Yes! Chief of Staff Leo.”

Leo and Aron were in front of a small stream some distance from the Dreygon Plains.

The stream was connected to an underground cave, and the two had been waiting in front of it until now.

At Leo’s words, Aron took a deep breath, seemingly nervous.

“Are you nervous?”

“Yes, to be honest, I am.”

Aron had heard all the plans from Leo.

And he had faith in him because of what Leo had shown him.

But he couldn’t help but be nervous.

The pressure that Cron’s fate might depend on him was weighing on Aron.

“Can my Magic really cause such a thing? I don’t think it’s possible, even if I use the Philosopher’s Stone.”

“Aron’s Magic can do it. Just do it like when we practiced beforehand.”

“Still…”

Aron held the Magical Power amplification Magical Tool, the ‘Philosopher’s Stone,’ in his hand.

If he used this, which he had received from Lord Zelas, even Aron could temporarily use high-level Magic.

And he had already verified it through practice a while ago.

But even so, Aron was afraid.

Leo spoke kindly to such Aron.

“Believe in yourself, Aron. If you can’t believe in yourself, believe in me, who believes in Aron.”

“Leo…”

“If you’re still nervous, should I sing you a song?”

Aron was horrified at Leo’s words that he would sing.

Recalling Leo’s song that he had heard a while ago, Aron hurriedly said.

“N-No! It’s okay!! I feel better!!!”

Leo was saddened by Aron’s reaction.

Ah… Aron also doesn’t understand my art.

But Leo was used to this situation.

“Hoo… Then, I’ll do it. Chief of Staff Leo!!!”

Saying that, Leo injected Magical Power into the Philosopher’s Stone.

The Philosopher’s Stone, which had been activated by receiving Magical Power, began to emit a red light and began to increase Leo’s Magical Power output.

Aron felt as if his head was refreshed as if he had just woken up, and he prepared Magic towards the stream.

The Magic that Aron would use was ‘Water Droplet Magic.’

What was different from the Water Droplet Magic so far was that he poured all his Magical Power and the increased output from the Philosopher’s Stone into simply creating water droplets.

Boooooooom-

“Haaaaaa!”

Blue Magical Power gathers in Aron’s hand.

The Magical Power of blue Water Magic and the red Magical Power of the Philosopher’s Stone mixed, and it began to glow with a Magical Power light like purple.

Aron, who had poured all his strength, said the incantation.

“Gutta Aqua (Water Droplet Magic)!!!”

A lump of purple Magical Power was emitted from Aron’s hand.

The emitted purple Magical Power fell into the stream and headed towards the cave at a high speed along the stream.

The Magic fired from Aron’s hand entered the cave and went up along the underground water vein.

And after going up about 4km along the underground water vein, he activated the Magic there.

Kooong-!

“Huh, what was that?”

“What’s wrong? No, I think I heard something explode just now.”

“Really? I didn’t hear anything?”

“Am I imagining things…?”

Above that underground water vein was the Dreygon Plains, and a legion of 10,000 was passing through there now.

Aron’s water droplet, no, water bubble Magic, which was activated underground, was not heard at all due to the noise created by the 10,000-strong march.

But that Magic was definitely starting to take effect.

The water, which had turned into a large amount of water bubbles deep underground, created a huge space underground with its pressure, causing a huge explosion.

And then the water bubbles quickly solidified and became water again, and a huge space was created underground.

The huge underground space, which was suddenly created with water bubbles, became very weak due to the water.

On top of that, the legion of 10,000 was marching vigorously, kicking the ground.

The huge space that suddenly appeared underground, the legion of 10,000 passing above, and the weight created by the numerous food supplies they were carrying were enough to put a strain on the ground.

And…

Gooooooong-

“Huh? What’s that sound?”

Goooooo- Swaaaaaaa-

“Ugh! Uwaaaaaaack!!!!”

The ground of the Dreygon Plains began to collapse.

The underground subsidence, which started from the central rear area where the lords and supplies were gathered and was the heaviest, created a huge hole and began to widen rapidly.

A phenomenon of ground collapse, represented by sinkholes, began to occur.

The ground began to be sucked into the hole like quicksand in the desert, and along with the ground, many knights and soldiers began to be sucked in.

“T-The ground is collapsing!!”

“Save me!!! Uwaaaack!!”

The lords were also included in that disaster.

The lords were all gathered in the central rear area for their own safety and to monitor each other.

They thought that was the safest area, but as many heavily armed guards and supplies were gathered, it became the heaviest area, and as a result, it was the area that was directly hit by the underground subsidence.

“W-What’s going on!”

“G-Go! Go!!”

Lord Tuel and Lord Cron were also caught up in the underground subsidence.

Lord Tuel was trying to figure out the situation and disappeared into the ground as it was, and Lord Cron was trying to escape with his horse, but he was powerless in the face of the power of nature.

So the lords of the six families were buried alive underground.

“Volatus (Flight Magic)”

The only ones who survived in the central area were the Magicians who could use Flight Magic.

Some of those Magicians, who had been focusing on Magical Power detection, missed the timing to use Flight Magic and could not use Magic.

The Magicians who flew into the air confirmed each other’s safety.

“Ritz! Are you safe?”

“I’m safe, but this is…”

They could see the situation of their legion at a glance.

It was a disaster in itself.

A huge and wide hole had been created in the plains, and just by looking at it, 30% of the six-family alliance was buried alive in the hole.

It also occurred in the area where the lords and knight order commanders were gathered in the rear, and as a result, the commanders disappeared in an instant.

Generally, in war, if 20% of the army is lost, it is said to be annihilation.

It is considered such a serious loss that it is impossible to continue fighting if only that much is killed.

But now, 30% of the alliance, including the main commanders and supplies such as food, had disappeared in an instant.

The surviving soldiers and knights knew as they watched the disaster.

They had lost before they even fought…

Author’s words (Author’s afterword)

Quiz answer

Lana: Looking at it now, it seems good to just watch and freeload like this.

Calix: Right?

Azel: Lord, I’m out of popcorn.

Sharen: I have some left. Eat this.

It was!

Thank you for watching today too!