Ch.115Chapter 115. Selection and Focus (1)

“Why are you like that?”

“Tsk. It’s nothing.”

Though I told Addy it was nothing, it was still bothering me.

The conversation with Elaine ended well.

I moved so hastily that an unintended situation arose, but well.

“I finished talking with Jacqueline too. We can depart now.”

“Okay.”

I muttered as I took out the mask that had been tucked inside my clothes and put it back on.

The situation had become complicated, but in a way, it worked out well.

‘It should be fine.’

Squeeze-

I repeated to myself as I firmly held Addy’s hand.

I was worried, but from my experience so far, Elaine was someone I could trust.

I believe without a doubt that she’ll protect me as she said she would.

Woong-

More than that, it was time to focus elsewhere now.

The signal Erika was sending had been coming from the same place since I first arrived until now.

Inside the Flora Kingdom palace.

“It’s been a while.”

Addy, wearing her uniform after a long time, muttered as soon as we arrived, brushing her bangs back.

I’m not sure what Addy means by “it’s been a while.”

Perhaps it’s been a while since she came to the villa, and it’s been a while since she wore her uniform.

It’s probably been a very long time since she actually worked in the field too.

“Where’s Jacqueline?”

“I told her to come here… Ah, there she is.”

“It’s been a while.”

As Addy and I arrived at the mansion, Jacqueline appeared from the distant forest as if she had been waiting.

Jacqueline, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, looked exactly as I remembered.

Her gray hair was still long, and she still annoyingly covered one eye.

Her characteristic expressionlessness and monotone voice remained the same too.

“Indeed. It’s been a while.”

After briefly greeting Jacqueline, I immediately turned my head.

Now that we’d met with Jacqueline, there was no need to delay any further.

In a short time, Addy had already made plans for how to proceed.

All that remained was to execute those plans.

“Then…”

“Wait a moment.”

“Huh?”

“There’s something I need to do before we go.”

“Something you need to do?”

Just as we were about to depart, Jacqueline interrupted me.

Jacqueline, still without changing her expression, looked straight at Addy and me, saying there was something she needed to do.

“I have a battlefield I’m responsible for. If I leave, the allied forces around there will probably be annihilated.”

“Uh…”

As someone who didn’t properly know Jacqueline’s situation, it was an extremely bewildering statement.

Addy seemed to feel the same way.

It didn’t seem like something she had heard from Jacqueline beforehand, as Addy was also confused.

“I’ll finish it quickly before we go rescue Erika.”

“How long do you think it will take?”

“I’m not sure either. I’ll try to finish it quickly.”

“Oh, umm.”

At Jacqueline’s unexpected words, Addy was so surprised that she couldn’t respond.

Glancing at Jacqueline, it seemed she had no intention of changing her mind.

“Erika isn’t someone who would be easily defeated.”

Jacqueline continued speaking as if she were rather calm.

Of course, she was right.

Though I was anxious, I knew very well that Erika wouldn’t be easily defeated.

“And Erika told me to hold out here. If I leave the battlefield without saying anything, I’ll probably be branded a traitor.”

Jacqueline was calmly stating just the facts.

For Addy and me, who were fixated on rescuing Erika as soon as possible, these were points we hadn’t considered at all.

Naturally, we had planned to advance to rescue Erika as soon as Jacqueline joined us.

“Then.”

Before Addy could say anything, I stepped forward first.

Judging by Jacqueline’s expression and tone, she wasn’t in a state that could be persuaded.

But it was too risky for just Addy and me to head to the Flora Kingdom palace without Jacqueline.

Going with just Addy and without Jacqueline would be really dangerous.

It would be much easier if I infiltrated alone, but since Addy was here too.

“Let’s resolve this together and then go.”

“Alright.”

“Huh?”

Jacqueline immediately nodded at my words, but Addy looked at me with a start.

As if she couldn’t believe I would say such a thing.

“We don’t have time, so let’s go quickly.”

“Yes. If the commander helps, it will end faster.”

“No, wait…”

“Addy.”

“…”

I quickly cut off Addy’s attempt to object.

I understood Addy’s feelings, but in my opinion, this was the best choice right now.

“This is the fastest and safest method right now.”

“…”

I spoke quite seriously, making eye contact with Addy.

When I spoke so firmly, Addy frowned as if she had no rebuttal.

Then she sighed briefly and nodded.

“Then let’s go right away. Jacqueline, lead the way.”

“Okay. This way first.”

Woong- Koong-

“Huh?”

Just as Jacqueline was turning to run, I opened a spatial portal.

It was the first change in Jacqueline’s expression since we met.

Jacqueline opened her eyes wide in surprise at the being that emerged from the space.

Despite the urgent situation, I couldn’t help feeling proud.

Growl-

The dragon, who had worked hard yesterday, walked out of the space with a much more docile attitude than before.

“Let’s ride this. That was the original plan.”

“Wow.”

Jacqueline’s eyes not only grew round but began to sparkle.

Woong-

I took Addy and Jacqueline’s hands and teleported onto the dragon’s head.

“Now guide us.”

“Wooooow.”

Jacqueline was delighted like a child after getting on the dragon’s head.

I asked her to guide us.

**

‘Today’s battle is the turning point.’

Hans thought as he finished preparing to go out.

The war, which had been going on for several weeks, was still in a deadlock.

However, Hans thought that perhaps for the first time, he could gain an advantageous position on the battlefield starting with today’s battle.

Although they had been helplessly defeated in the beginning, the atmosphere on the battlefield had been changing recently.

The soldiers were gradually adapting to the Creatures, and thanks to the allied forces arriving from around the world, methods to counter the Creatures were being discovered one by one.

Nevertheless, looking at the overall situation, it was still a stalemate.

‘If we push back the enemy today, we can secure space to install a large magic formation.’

This was why Hans considered today’s battle important.

A barrier that prevents not only Black Magic but also Creatures created by Black Magic from approaching.

If they win today’s battle and install this, the Flora Kingdom will inevitably feel a sense of crisis.

“Is everyone ready?”

“About that.”

“Hmm?”

“Jacqueline, who was assigned to the frontline, is nowhere to be seen.”

“What?”

Hans felt uneasy the moment he heard his subordinate’s words.

The girl who could be considered the strongest force in the allied army right now.

The mercenary Jacqueline, who had shown and continues to show the best performance.

Today, as usual, she was supposed to break through one of the frontlines.

“Did you search thoroughly?”

“Yes. We searched everywhere but couldn’t find her.”

“Tsk.”

It was clearly a troublesome situation, but there wasn’t much he could do about it right away.

Jacqueline was merely a mercenary and part of the allied forces, not Hans’s subordinate.

Honestly, hundreds of soldiers desert every day after seeing the Creatures firsthand.

Compared to that, one person hardly makes a difference, but.

“Of all times…”

“What should we do?”

“…I’ll take Jacqueline’s place. It’s just one person missing. Nothing will change.”

Hans said this but was still anxious.

It was “just one person,” but Jacqueline’s performance on the battlefield so far had been astonishing.

The number of Creatures she had destroyed alone must be in the hundreds or thousands.

“We march immediately!”

“Yes!”

Hans mounted his horse and led his subordinates toward the frontline.

“Waaaah!!”

As Hans took the lead, a huge roar erupted from behind.

‘Hmm.’

Feeling an unknown anxiety, Hans drew his sword as he reached the point just before confronting the Flora Kingdom army.

He needed to show his subordinates a fearless performance to boost the morale of the allied forces behind him.

He had to show a fearless appearance.

“Oh, Commander!”

“Huh?”

Whoosh-

Just as he was about to charge at a black golem with that thought, a subordinate shouted from behind.

Hans felt a large shadow quickly passing by him along with his subordinate’s words.

Reflexively, his head turned upward.

“Wh-what is that?”

Hans narrowed his eyes, doubting what he was seeing was real.

Flying majestically through the sky with large wings spread was a wyvern made of bones.

And it was a wyvern much larger than an ordinary one.

“What is that?”

“A-a new Creature?!”

“No. It came from our side…!”

Hans ignored the murmurs of the soldiers behind him and watched the wyvern’s movements.

Maintaining tension as if ready to enter battle at any moment.

Kwagagagwang-

“Huh?”

“Hmm?”

“I-is it on our side?!”

“Waaaah!!”

‘What on earth is that?’

Contrary to everyone’s expectations, the undead wyvern directly attacked the Flora Kingdom army.

Perhaps because its body was made of bones and had no fear of death.

The undead wyvern crashed into the enemy without any fear of injury.

Thanks to this, the enemy’s formation was greatly disrupted in an instant.

“Oh, that’s!”

“It’s Jacqueline!”

Murmur murmur-

It was clearly visible even from a distance.

The rare gray long hair and equally rare long, spine-like weapon.

Jacqueline jumped off the undead wyvern’s head and drew her weapon.

“Who are those people?”

“Oh! The Black Shadow Corps?!”

‘Huh?’

And standing on either side of Jacqueline were two people dressed in black.

As several soldiers behind shouted simultaneously, they were two people wearing Black Shadow Corps uniforms.

‘Why on earth is the Black Shadow Corps…?’

“N-now’s the time! Everyone charge!”

Though Hans was questioning in his mind, he instinctively shouted.

Whatever the reason, now was the time to start the battle.

It was Hans’s intuition.

“Waaaah!!”

With the soldiers’ battle cries, Hans also ran forward.

Thinking he should at least go and talk to Jacqueline.