Ch.167Chapter 167: Eastern Decisive Battle (35)

# Chapter 167: Eastern Decisive Battle (35)

They had hurriedly obtained the artifact, but Valt’s group had overlooked something.

“Does this artifact work just by opening the book?”

It was a mistake to have rushed and taken the artifact without proper instructions.

But in that situation, it was unlikely that King Jerdin would have kindly explained how to use the artifact.

No one could give Valt a confident answer.

Lati was the one with knowledge about artifacts, but she wasn’t here.

“Lisa. Don’t you know either?”

Elliwell’s Silence.

She had heard of it but didn’t know how to use it.

Just looking at the artifact, it seemed like opening the book would activate it, but they couldn’t be certain.

Usage method, range, conditions. There were countless factors to consider.

If they misused this artifact now, soldiers’ lives would be lost.

“Honestly, I don’t know. It seems like we just need to open the book.”

Then Arias interjected.

“What if that’s not it? What if it requires an incantation?”

Artifacts varied widely in type, and their usage methods differed greatly from ordinary magical tools.

While the Orc King’s artifact could be used simply by throwing it, some artifacts had complex usage methods.

Given the urgency of the situation, they had obtained the artifact but now faced the frustrating predicament of not knowing how to use it.

“We can’t just use it blindly. This is our last resort.”

Hearing Valt’s words, Lisa began to think.

And within seconds, she found an answer.

“That’s it! That person! The one who knows a lot about artifacts!”

Lisa was referring to Veron, who served as a military officer in their unit.

Veron held a position that was military in name only, unable to properly participate in the war due to opposition from nobles.

“Should we go back to the barracks?”

“I’ll go! Valt, help the soldiers here!”

The casualties among regular soldiers had been too great.

With someone as powerful as Valt, they could hold back the Orc forces at the river mouth to some extent.

“It’s a big responsibility. Can you handle it?”

Lisa nodded with eyes shining brighter than ever before.

“Leave it to me.”

A different expression from the playful Lisa they had known.

Valt decided to trust her.

Not everyone can be strong in the same way.

Some need to use their minds, and others need to use their strength.

And Valt was in the position to use strength.

He knew very well that it wasn’t him but Lisa who could solve this situation.

“I’ll hold this place until you return.”

Even for Valt, this situation wasn’t easy.

The fog ahead that obscured visibility.

And attacks from Orcs with their relatively developed sense of smell.

Lisa had been going around saying there was nothing to worry about with Valt, but she was genuinely concerned.

But Lisa had resolve.

She too carried the blood of Valentine.

“I’m counting on you. I’ll bring back a solution no matter what it takes. Trust me, Valt.”

Valt smiled at the serious Lisa before him.

The naivety when they first met.

Her highly developed sociability, unusual for a noble lady.

Lisa was a special existence to Valt.

It wasn’t that she lacked talent for combat, but everyone around Lisa happened to be disciples of the Seven Heroes or princes and princesses of different races.

Her talents might have seemed trivial in comparison, but Valt knew Lisa was capable of greater things.

“I trust you, Lisa Valentine.”

After saying that, Valt jumped down from the platform Lilith had created.

“Lilith! Take Lisa to Military Officer Veron!”

“Understood, Valt!”

Valt sent Lisa, Lilith, and Arias away and plunged into the battlefield alone.

Suddenly his heart raced.

It was the feeling of blood boiling that he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Thud-!

As Valt fell from the sky, Orcs and allied soldiers scattered in panic.

Some Orcs were already crushed to death under Valt’s feet.

“Ugh! W-what is this!”

Valt calmly replied to that question.

“I’m an ally.”

It was no exaggeration to say that allied forces at the river mouth were being slaughtered.

He had gone to King Jerdin first only because a quick report was the priority.

Valt wanted to help these soldiers.

And now.

Valt faced the Orc soldiers alone.

“ROAAAAAAR!!”

A roar that only Gerungtu great warriors could use. That cry echoed across the battlefield.

As mentioned before, Valt’s roar was similar to Fear.

Creatures without resistance inevitably found their bodies stiffening.

Of course, it affected allies too, but since they had been pushed back by the Orcs for so long, it actually had a positive effect.

And Valt shouted.

Gathering all his mana and muscle, Valt’s voice was loud enough for everyone at the river mouth to hear.

His shout spread through the fog-thick river mouth.

[I am Valt Gerungtu, youngest son of Gerungtu Kwan! Those who stand in my way! Only death awaits! Follow me! I will lead you to victory!]

“B-barbarian?”

“It’s him! The Barbarian Mage!”

Valt’s reputation was well-known even among ordinary soldiers.

The battlefield, which had been filled with death, was revitalized by Valt’s appearance.

His imposing presence was tremendous just from his size alone.

And Valt immediately cast a wide-area spell.

Allies behind, enemies in front.

Simple.

There was no need to hold back from using massive magic.

Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-

Valt’s body spun, creating a tornado.

This was the magic Valt had chosen after considering what would best improve the situation.

Fog is essentially a mass of moisture suspended in the air.

And such light particles are naturally affected by wind.

Valt threw the instantly created tornado toward the river where the Orcs were landing and shouted.

[Fight! Allied forces! I am with you!]

A voice accompanied by a tremendous attack.

Boom-boom-boom-

The tornado, scooping up river water as it advanced, began to flip over Orc rafts and slaughter the Orcs.

The allied soldiers, whose visibility had improved somewhat due to Valt’s magic, could witness its magnificence.

And they heard it clearly.

The youngest son of Gerungtu had come to help them.

It wasn’t just empty words of support.

With an incredible tornado, the prince of another race, Valt Gerungtu, had joined the battle to help them.

In fact, rumors about Valt had been spreading among the allied forces.

Rumors that he had single-handedly destroyed several Orc Lords, that Orc Generals were nothing to him.

Valt’s reputation had spread among the soldiers.

The youngest son of Gerungtu Kwan.

The son of the southern absolute ruler we know nothing about.

Such a Gerungtu was cutting down Orcs.

Some hadn’t believed it, but now they were witnessing Valt’s prowess with their own eyes.

The ordinary soldiers of the Eastern Alliance thought it was a miracle and shouted in unison.

“WOOOOAAAH!! Valt! Valt! Valt!!”

The tornado Valt created sent Orcs flying into the sky, utterly decimating them, and the morale of the soldiers who witnessed this through the clearing fog began to soar rapidly.

It started with someone shouting a single phrase.

“The strongest Barbarian is with us! Everyone, charge!!”

“WOOOOAAAH!!”

The situation changed dramatically.

The allied forces, who had been one-sidedly slaughtered, could now stand against the Orcs who had tactical and geographical advantages, thanks to Valt’s appearance.

But Valt himself knew best that this wouldn’t last long.

In the briefly cleared visibility, he could see endless Orc rafts on the river, a scale that Valt alone couldn’t handle.

There were still hundreds of thousands of Orcs left, a number Valt couldn’t manage alone.

‘I’m counting on you, Lisa. We don’t have much time.’

He had temporarily boosted morale, but Valt ultimately found himself in a situation where he could only fight while waiting for Lisa’s solution.

***

Lisa, Lilith, and Arias found Jerdin’s tent that they had visited before.

They already knew that Veron wasn’t being treated properly as an allied military officer.

Sure enough.

When Lisa found the tent, she discovered Veron sitting there.

Absurdly, he was playing chess by himself.

Veron greeted Lisa cheerfully.

“Lady Valentine, what brings you here?”

But Lisa had no time for such conversation now.

She asked Veron directly.

“How to use Elliwell’s Silence. Tell me.”

“Oh, Commander Jerdin gave it to you?”

“No time for useless talk! How do I use this!”

At Lisa’s insistence, Veron smiled slightly and said.

“You did well to bring it here. I’ll help you. What effect are you looking for?”

“What effect? Doesn’t this just disrupt mana? We’re trying to clear the fog!”

But Veron was strangely calm.

Or rather, he looked somewhat resigned.

“Hehe, many people think that. But the true power of Elliwell’s Silence isn’t that. Still, clearing the fog seems like the best use in the current situation. As expected of Lady Valentine.”

“Then tell me quickly! What do I need to do! This is no time for leisurely talk!”

“Hehe, is that so.”

Despite his self-deprecating tone, Veron took Elliwell’s Silence from Lisa and broke its seal.

Crack-crack-crack-

The strings wrapping the artifact unravel, and Elliwell’s Silence opens.

And Veron began to speak.

“This is a kind of remote support strike. It has a very simple usage method—input coordinates and the radius for mana disruption.”

Veron said it was simple, but Lisa’s group had no idea what he meant.

“So what do we do? There’s fog at the river mouth…!”

“I already know. I’ll solve it for you now. The Orc shamans creating the fog should be around here.”

And Veron began writing something in Elliwell’s Silence.

Then the book glowed briefly before wrapping itself with the strings that had been removed earlier.

“This should clear the fog.”

Valt and Lisa’s group could communicate via armlet.

Lisa immediately contacted Valt.

“Valt! Is the fog clearing?”

After a moment, a message arrived from Valt.

[Hmm, it hasn’t completely cleared yet, but it seems to be getting thinner. Did you succeed?]

Hearing Valt’s words, Lisa breathed a sigh of relief.

“Yes! Lord Veron helped, and the fog will clear! Sorry, but please hang in there a bit longer!”

[I’ll hold out, so bring back good news. As things stand, we can only defend.]

But the current situation had merely avoided the worst; it was still absolutely unfavorable for the allies.

Even without the fog, the rafts were an effective strategy, and the allies were still surrounded.

Lisa asked Veron.

“Military Officer, is the situation terrible?”

Veron was in the position of a military officer but couldn’t properly participate in the war.

There were people who envied him for holding the military officer position solely because he was good at strategy, despite not being an Aura user or a mage.

So he was just wasting time here.

Therefore, Lisa’s question had a double meaning for Veron.

Of course, Lisa had asked with that meaning in mind.

“Yes, it’s terrible.”

Veron was honest with Lisa.

Lisa wasn’t part of the Eastern Alliance but a member of the Empire. Moreover, Lisa was a talent that Veron admired.

To the point he wanted to take her as a disciple.

But Lisa was a lady of the Valentine family.

A prestigious imperial family that freely used both magic and aura.

Such a Lisa was someone that Veron, who had talent in neither aura nor magic, couldn’t aspire to reach.

Still, he was honest because she wasn’t from the Eastern side.

Hearing this, Lisa asked Veron.

“You have a way to turn this situation around, don’t you? I know you’re that kind of person.”

After thinking for a moment, Veron smiled faintly and said.

“Hehe, interesting. It’s a strategy that King Jerdin rejected. Can you use it? Wouldn’t it violate military law? Political violations? Diplomatic violations?”

“What does that matter! People are dying!”

“Lady Lisa, there are many people in this world who cannot speak their minds as freely as they wish.”

This man is capable.

He clearly has a solution.

But he couldn’t shine because of political circumstances.

Having thought that far, Lisa offered Veron a condition.

“If you tell me that method now, I’ll help you defect to the Empire. With the Valentine family as your sponsor, of course. Keep your conscience and become an imperial citizen.”