21. 전.

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“That’s Zeus Castle.”

 

Aran admired the cliff-like mountain that soared high, and the high ramparts that straddled its peak.

Truly an impregnable fortress.

 

The front of the ramparts was so narrow that siege warfare itself was impossible, and doing anything at the foot of the mountain was too high up.

 

“It seems they’ve engraved shield formulas on the mountain too, how did the Mei Empire capture something like this? Is siege warfare even possible?”

“It is said that at the time, Duke Yuri single-handedly broke through the enemy’s shield, after which about 20 Tier 5 knights charged in, cut down the ramparts, and slaughtered the enemy soldiers to capture it.”

“Duke Yuri? Are you talking about Yuri Yuri?”

“…Surely that can’t be the case. It was about 300 years ago, so it’s her great-great-great-grandmother.”

“Heeung. I see.”

 

 

Aran was certain.

It was probably Yuri Yuri’s doing.

Since she’s a Vampire Lord, she wouldn’t die, so it’s highly likely she did it.

 

“Alright. Then we’ll just do the same.”

 

The nobles looked flustered and frustrated at Aran’s spirited words.

 

“Your Highness, Duke Yuri at the time was recorded as a Tier 7-level master, and even that, we don’t know if it’s true or just a myth.”

“That’s right. It’s too reckless, -obnida.”

“I’m Tier 7 too. Are you ignoring me?”

“N-No, that’s not it, -obgo…. It’s just that we’re worried about Your Highness’s precious body, -obnida.”

 

 

They say that, but in truth, they’re just not confident.

Few had directly witnessed Aran’s immense power, and among the nobles, Aran’s abilities were being underestimated and passed around, which was causing this phenomenon.

 

 

“Worry my ass.”

“Yo, Your Highness….”

 

Aran showed her displeasure very clearly and stepped forward.

 

 

“The 50,000 troops I brought. I won’t let a single one die. This war will be a one-sided massacre.”

 

Spouting ridiculous words, she strode forward.

Then, she raised her gaze and looked at the top of Zeus Castle’s ramparts.

 

The enemy soldiers, tense as hell, were trembling, clutching spears and bows.

 

 

“Heh. Regret becoming my enemy. Ah, did you not have a choice?”

“Your Highness, wouldn’t it be better to surround them and starve them out?”

“I don’t have money.”

“Pardon?”

“We have to consume supplies while we’re surrounding and waiting.”

“Of course, that’s true, but it’s much safer, -obnida!”

“It’s fine. I don’t have money.”

“Ah, n-no….”

“Enough. Her Highness has her own thoughts. Shouldn’t a subject trust their king?”

 

Iliana, unable to watch any longer, stepped in and stopped the nobles.

The nobles eventually backed down.

Aran frowned subtly.

 

 

When Aran was a man, he actively used the backgrounds of women and thought it was good, but when Aran was a woman, she thought of herself as a god, so she disliked such things very much.

 

Of course, it’s not that she hates the wives stepping up. She just doesn’t like the nobles’ attitude.

 

 

“Well, watch. I’ll break your haughty nose for you.”

“Y-You don’t have to break my nose, -dweobnida.”

 

Leaving her, who felt fear at Aran’s words, behind, Aran began to float into the air.

Purple mana swirled and bloomed around her body.

 

 

Perhaps seeing that, the top of Zeus Castle’s ramparts became busy, and those who appeared to be mages began to move their lips.

 

 

 

 

Uuung!

 

 

A faint light was added to the ramparts, and a faint barrier covered them.

 

A large-scale shield protecting the ramparts.

Not only were the mages chanting spells, weaving formulas, and injecting mana, but the ramparts themselves were engraved with subtle and complex formulas, manifesting an even stronger shield, boasting a strong defense that could even block the ballista of an archer several times.

 

Therefore, when it comes to siege warfare, the mages first reverse-calculate and release the formulas engraved on the ramparts, weaken the shield and inflict internal injuries on the enemy mages, or eliminate the shield itself.

 

And after that, they smash the ramparts with the ballista of an archer or the sword strikes of a high-ranking knight, and then push forward with troops.

 

 

Of course, it’s not easy to proceed that far, and it takes at least two months, so a castle with the worst natural conditions like Zeus Castle was very difficult to capture.

 

 

 

 

“What a crude shield.”

 

 

 

Before I knew it, the shield’s barrier had crossed the ramparts and spread across the entire mountain, creating an indescribable spectacle.

Aran called that a crude shield.

 

To express it that way, after thousands of mages throughout history racked their brains to strengthen and strengthen it again. It’s a violent remark that would make them foam at the mouth and collapse if they heard it.

 

 

However, as a Tier 7 mage, she could see all sorts of crude gaps, and with just one small formula, she could not only collapse the shield, but also inflict great damage on the caster and all beings who had imbued mana.

 

 

‘But that would be too boring.’

 

 

It’s a great and magnificent thing, but it’s not visible to the eye.

In order to suppress those arrogant noble bitches, something visible and powerful is needed, but simply releasing the shield wasn’t enough to satisfy her.

 

 

“Shall I pick up a bow for the first time in a while?”

 

 

When Aran reached out her hand, a rod emitting intense purple light appeared around her beautiful hand, and soon its shape changed like a lump of wet soil, becoming the shape of a curved bow.

 

 

“Let’s start simple at first. Hmm… good. Shall I shoot the enemy knights one by one?”

 

 

If it were ordinary shooting, it would naturally be blocked by the shield and have no effect.

But Aran’s arrows are different!

 

 

She instantly created a purple bow made of mana and engraved a formula on that mana mass.

It was a formula of destruction.

If it’s a defense using mana, it was a brutal thing that would ignore it no matter how strong it was.

 

 

Kkigigik.

 

 

When Aran pulled the bow, the soldiers on the ramparts and the women in the Great Kingdom camp couldn’t hide their puzzled expressions.

To go to all the trouble of floating up and emitting a brutal energy, only to shoot arrows.

 

 

But that expression soon turned to shock.

 

 

The mana arrow that flew with a whistling sound broke through the shield so easily that it pierced the head of an enemy soldier who was staring blankly.

 

 

The soldier hit by the arrow fell forward as he was.

 

 

 

 

???

 

 

 

 

The emotion that arose before surprise.

A question mark floated above everyone’s head.

 

 

What the hell is that?

A large-scale shield was clearly deployed, and it was much stronger than a normal shield, so how could an arrow come in so easily?

The same goes for mana arrows. No, if it’s made of mana alone, it’s even more vulnerable to shields.

 

 

But how?

 

 

 

“W-Wow…! What is that?!”

 

 

Belatedly, murmurs arose from the Great Kingdom camp, and fear arose in the Athens camp.

 

 

“D-Don’t be fooled! She’s using some kind of trick!! A large-scale shield is deployed, -da!!!”

 

 

A knight shouted to calm the atmosphere.

 

“What you see is just a single arrow, and she probably poured out all her mana! Therefore…”

“Shut up, you idiot. Do you think I’m like you?”

 

 

Shuuuk!

 

 

The second arrow.

It flew in and stuck in the abdomen of the knight who was shouting loudly.

The mana arrow, which protruded far behind his back, soon exploded with a Pung! and scattered the knight’s body in all directions.

 

 

“Hiik!”

 

 

A knight’s body is usually not normal.

It not only pierced the shield and the knight’s body, but also exploded it.

They finally felt the overwhelming power in that cruel sight.

 

 

“T-The shield…is broken!!!”

 

The soldiers, half in a panic, began to disobey the commander’s orders.

 

If it’s just a strong enemy, they would think nothing of it, but now Aran is floating in the air, and the distance is 1,000 steps.

It’s naturally impossible for ordinary soldiers to fight back.

If they can’t do anything but be killed, no one wants to be there.

 

 

Aran continued to shoot arrows several times, killing enemy soldiers and driving the enemies into fear.

 

 

 

Shurururung!

 

 

Finally, the archers began to respond.

A black wave rose from the ramparts and was fired at Aran.

 

 

“Do you think a god would be hurt by mere arrows?”

 

 

Aran looked at the arrows being fired at her with indifferent eyes and drew her hand across.

Then, the thousand or so arrows that were flying fiercely were caught in a faint purple light and stopped in their tracks.

 

 

“N-No way….”

 

 

Someone muttered.

They felt a very ominous feeling.

 

 

“The arrows you shot, take them back.”

 

 

And that ominous feeling became a reality.

The arrows stopped in mid-air slowly turned their heads.

 

 

“O…God, -isiyeo….”

“Why are you calling?”

 

 

Aran answered cheerfully and fired the arrows.