Ch.132132. Faith, Expectations, and… (2)

The academy’s students. Those above a certain level became targets for conscription. Eugene and Cora volunteered even before conscription was decided. It wasn’t particularly out of patriotism or a noble desire to protect people. Since they were destined to enlist anyway, their decision contained a calculated thought to improve their family’s reputation by painting a better picture.

“Everyone has a plan. Until they get hit.”

Eugene muttered while standing on the fortress wall. It was a quote from a famous fighter in the arena. Before seeing it with their own eyes, there had only been vague expectations. They thought it was time to demonstrate the skills they had honed at the academy, and were surprised at how accurately Professor Ilroy’s words had come true.

“I got hit pretty hard.”

And now they were realizing in real-time why the professor had been so insistent on making students accustomed to fighting monsters. Even after Eugene and Cora enlisted, excellent students from the academy continued to be conscripted and deployed.

Eugene’s squad consisted of one mage, two knights, and ten regular soldiers. One of the knights was a veteran in charge of overall command, and the other knight was Cora.

“What are you thinking when you look at that?”

Eugene nudged Cora slightly while asking. Cora squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again. Even after closing and opening her eyes, those things were still there. No, strictly speaking, they weren’t in the same place. Little by little, like dusk and twilight eating away at the blue sky, that writhing shadow was approaching.

“I’m wondering why they’re not rushing at us and just lingering there. That’s what I’m thinking.”

Eugene raised an eyebrow at Cora’s attitude, having expected to be scolded. Trying to act normal was pointless. No one here was maintaining their composure. The knight in command remained silent. No words of comfort, encouragement, or reassurance.

“Remember what we heard in class? What the professor told us.”

Unlike Eugene, who barely paid attention in class and learned lessons through experience, Cora was a model student. Though now their relationship had completely reversed.

“No. I don’t remember at all. I feel like I heard something.”

“It means there’s an entity controlling those creatures. Remember? They said when there’s a commander-type entity, monster behavior becomes controlled like a human army.”

Honestly, it wasn’t something they wanted to imagine. Eugene and Cora recalled the phantom of the “named” monster they had faced just once during class. Except for Natalie, no one could face it alone, let alone hold out for more than two minutes against it.

“Does that mean there’s an entity controlling all those monsters?”

Eugene muttered. Was the Calamity originally like this? Did the professor, the hero, fight against such armies, overcome them, and cut off the breath of the entity controlling this horde? No, these weren’t even the Calamity. The Calamity was something that fell from the sky leaving a white trail, something that wasn’t even a living creature.

“…Perhaps they’re being commanded in units, like us.”

“Which means there must be monsters controlling those commander-type monsters too.”

The old knight, who had kept his mouth shut until now, answered their questions. The knight looked outside, thrusting his sword forward. The thick walls of the royal city had never looked so precarious.

“What do you think happened to the other major cities?”

“Probably similar situations. Either surrounded by monsters like this, or already fallen and in ruins.”

He didn’t offer any hopeful words about overcoming the situation. The old knight drew his sword.

“Never lose focus on the battlefield. That’s the only advice I can give to rookies facing their first real battle.”

The wind carried a faint stench and putrid smell. They said it was the smell of monsters. The wind blew from the front, not from behind. There was a sound. The wind howled low again. The sound of beasts scratching their throats traveled over the fortress wall and lingered in the crevices of the stones.

“Don’t die. Just focus on that.”

It was a warning. Eugene and Cora hung their heads, then raised them again. The battle hadn’t started yet. Were they waiting for human concentration to waver?

Clank.

At that moment, Eugene glanced at an alien sound coming up the fortress wall. Slowly, something bound in chains was being brought up onto the wall.

“Remember, the moment you attack humans, the ‘noose’ will tighten around you. After that, all that awaits you is execution. Understood?”

A harsh voice and threatening question. No answer came. Clank. Natalie’s black eyes, having climbed the final step, spotted Eugene and Cora standing stiffly. The person who brought Natalie was wearing pitch-black priest’s robes.

“This is your position. When the battle starts, either jump down from the wall to fight or fight from up here, as you wish. As long as you’re on the side killing monsters, I won’t interfere with how you fight.”

“Is there any guarantee you won’t kill me after the battle ends?”

“I told you we made a promise. The promises we make are much weightier than you think.”

The priest, undoubtedly an inquisitor, removed the chains binding Natalie’s hands. Natalie looked down at the chains that fell to the ground. Despite wearing chains that seemed as heavy as stones, there wasn’t a single red mark on her wrists.

“Go and kill. If you die, we’ll at least provide a burial plot.”

The priest said this and then vanished without a trace. Left alone on the fortress wall, Natalie commanded the attention of all the soldiers. With the imminent battle, the sudden appearance of a black-haired girl naturally drew everyone’s eyes.

“Natalie.”

Cora murmured. Natalie was wearing clean, white clothes that looked almost like a shroud. There were no signs of abuse. Her hair flowed with its usual luster. Cora was relieved that what she had worried about hadn’t happened.

“Instead of worrying about me, you’d better figure out how to survive.”

Her caustic remarks were the same as always. Amid people unable to maintain composure, the one who appeared neither trembled nor froze, but she wasn’t human.

“Most people here will die.”

Natalie spoke bluntly, but the soldiers’ expressions didn’t change. On the battlefield, death was something to be accepted. Only Eugene and Cora reacted to her words.

“…Could you not say things that lower morale? It’s already gloomy enough.”

“I just don’t want you two to be among them.”

At Natalie’s following words, both of them opened their eyes wide. Natalie shrugged nonchalantly.

“That’s how I rationalized it. The reason I’m submitting to fight. Because it could be you two.”

“Oh my, what an honor. At least I won’t have to worry about my back being exposed.”

When Eugene spoke sarcastically, Natalie snorted. It was a scene they often witnessed at the academy. Eugene trying hard to befriend Natalie, Natalie responding coldly, and Eugene being sarcastic.

“I’m not going to protect your backs though.”

When Natalie said that, Eugene and Cora’s expressions simultaneously went blank. Natalie narrowed her eyes and looked across the fortress wall.

“To use my full power, I need to fight in an open space. If I fight on this cramped fortress wall, you’ll all die because of me.”

Natalie said with a smile. Eugene couldn’t understand the meaning of that smile. Natalie stood at the edge of the wall. The ridge was covered with black forms writhing, gradually coming over. Closer and closer.

“So, I’ll make sure they can’t cross over to where you are.”

The moment Natalie uttered those words with eyes that seemed to have made some decision, and the moment everyone present was waiting to see what would happen next,

A cluster of lightning bolts fell from the sky.

==

“A gift for you.”

It had been a while since she had drawn out her full power. The second time since reaching the 7th circle. The first time she had used magic with all her might was ten years ago, after the seventh ring had settled into the realm of mastery for the first time. Back then, Laura’s opponent was a young Quenore Strope. Perhaps the only person in the entire continent who could have faced her was the Grand Duke of the North.

“Back then, I was being controlled by power…”

Magic was swirling in Laura’s hands. Seven cores created by the intertwining of seven rings. The magical power accelerated as it passed through core after core, exploding internally to form a concentration of power like a volcano on the verge of eruption. What kind of magic this would manifest as was now up to Laura.

“But now I’ve grown too.”

Laura’s body rose. A natural disaster manifested by a single person. The seven rings made it possible. The world trembled and shook. The clouds that had been flowing gathered in the sky above Laura’s head as if trapped in a vortex, forming a whirlpool. Piling up, piling up, piling up. Pitch-black storm clouds hung thickly in the sky over the royal city.

“I wonder what it would be like to face you again, Quenore.”

Her raised arms felt heavy. The torrent of magical power flowed out of her heart. She was at ease. Enough to casually fire off a grand spell as a greeting. The outline of the spell she was about to cast was forming in her mind. Lightning attribute. The fastest and most merciless destructive magic.

I sing of my wrath.

The target was the monsters – no, the ridge outside the royal city. The magical power was completely drawn into the sky, and the massive storm clouds, writhing with lightning like snakes, were placed under Laura’s hand.

“It seems this is the first time I’ve seen you cast magic in earnest.”

“I’m honored to demonstrate it to Your Majesty. I had hoped there would never be a need to use it for Your Majesty’s safety.”

Laura gave a bitter smile. There was no clicking of the tongue. Now there was only the 7th circle archmage standing there, observing.

“I shall begin, Your Majesty.”

“Please, I entrust this to you.”

“First impressions are important, after all.”

Laura rose even higher. She and the sky were connected. A tingling sensation flowed from Laura’s fingertips. The target was where the creatures were most concentrated. The eastern ridge.

Go.

The lightning trapped in the storm clouds was released. Thunder like a roar spread. Like a god descending to earth riding a gold-plated chariot, a massive anger was liberated in the form of cracks of light.

KWAAAAANG-!!!!

The ridge collapsed. The monsters evaporated on the spot, not even leaving ashes behind. Like a scythe sweeping through a rye field at harvest time, where the cluster of lightning had passed, there was only an empty rift.

“What the!!”

“It’s the mage!! The Tower Master has cast a grand spell!!”

People cheered. Debris collapsed from the burning mountain. The scars left by the lightning looked like wounds that would never heal.

“…But what is that.”

Yet despite this, the monsters did not stop their advance. Like water filling an empty channel, monsters surged in from somewhere to replenish their ranks. The hundreds, perhaps thousands of monsters killed by the grand spell were a number that could emerge from anywhere, endlessly. The monsters didn’t even run, but continued to march at the same pace.

“…Everyone, prepare for battle.”

The commander-in-chief’s stiff voice broke the cold silence. Soldiers and knights raised their swords and nocked arrows. As mages began their incantations and cannons were loaded,

The tidal wave of monsters began to charge.