Ch.277277. Goden Mikhail Rihabart (9)

I was on edge.

Even though I’d heard the suggestion to move elsewhere to talk, I wasn’t sure if I should be happy about it or not.

After Calix was mentioned and my childish actions from a time when I couldn’t bear the loneliness and burden came up directly in conversation, I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe…?

‘Could Junon really…?’

Replaying that question over and over in my mind, Renias walked on and on.

Even after reaching a place hidden from people’s eyes, my thoughts were still in such disarray that I didn’t come to my senses until Muniher carefully called out, “Child, child.”

Still, shaking my head vigorously, I asked:

“How do you know about what happened in my attic… Aunt Dalia?”

“Dalia went to check on your condition, didn’t she?”

“But Aunt wouldn’t have checked the attic…”

“It’s a family matter, so information wouldn’t have leaked outside. She simply happened to sense the magical power there.”

If that was the case, Dalia had deliberately kept Renias’s secret. Despite Renias having performed the summoning of a Calix, which was taboo in the duchy at the time.

“The timing wasn’t good. Your condition wasn’t good either, and Calix was out of the question in the duchy.”

The reason she had kept it hidden until now was simple.

Considering that a girl named Renias was under psychological pressure, and relieved that nothing happened afterward, she had turned a blind eye.

That was all.

However, revealing this fact now—something that could have been overlooked completely—wasn’t so simple.

“Distortion Pimpert. You, Renias, who faced him directly, must know. Didn’t you sense something strange during that subjugation battle?”

“Something… strange?”

“Well, I think Pimpert’s power itself wasn’t particularly strong.”

Come to think of it, that was true. That Beholder was too weak, regardless of the fact that it was a Calix summoned by Defornice III.

Also, why couldn’t Pimpert continuously emit distortion waves?

Why did the number of soldiers who regained consciousness gradually increase as the distortion power dissipated?

It was because of a lack of magical power.

The Beholder Calix wouldn’t have had much mana of its own, and it lacked the magical power to activate spells.

Rather, the one who had magical power was…

The old man who attacked Junon by emitting that eerie and disgusting magical power—Defornice III.

“That’s…”

Renias finally realized the subject was completely different. Looking at her, Muniher drove in another wedge.

“The Shanbereshu of the plague that the Tembris Party supposedly dealt with was so weak that one would wonder if it was really a named magical beast. It was so weak that it couldn’t even compare to Calpusis, who was once a candidate for named rank. Unlike a Devourer, it had no power to spread plague—just a large rat-shaped magical beast no different from a Giant Cud Rat.”

With that, Muniher handed Renias a lens.

“What is this…?”

“See for yourself. It’s the corpse of the real Shanbereshu.”

The Shanbereshu captured in the lens was much larger than what had been reported.

Not just in size, but seeing several Devourers around it confirmed it was definitely the mother specimen.

What Tembris had hunted was just a specimen disguised as the mother. There had already been one generation of inheritance.

But why was she being shown this? Just as Renias was about to ask the reason:

“Junon defeated that one.”

She was informed that this magical beast was also defeated by Junon.

“But is that… possible? With senior’s power…”

The Shanbereshu’s corpse looked as if it had been pierced by a giant spear, with the surrounding flesh completely melted away.

Renias was certain that even if she maximized her output, it would be impossible. Even if she managed to apply several layers of debuffs to significantly weaken it, she still couldn’t reach that level.

There was no way Junon, who covered his bases with tactics, strategy, and physical techniques, could use magic that would pierce through a named magical beast’s body and melt the surrounding flesh.

However, Renias covered her mouth and answered herself.

Such a strike, completely inconsistent with his style—a strike that melted and nearly decomposed the surrounding flesh.

Junon had used it before.

“That’s… impossible…”

Defornice III. When the power that old man had gained through sacrificial rituals cast on numerous Rakans targeted a boy below, Junon had faced the old man’s power head-on.

The sensation of mana itself being pierced throughout the area.

The sensation of surrounding mana being completely offset and melting away.

Junon had already shown it then.

As Renias shifted her gaze to her uncle with eyes that had witnessed an unbelievable reality, Muniher, swallowing hard, finally revealed his purpose.

“You need to protect Junon, Renias. That boy is of the same kind as your father.”

Just when she thought she couldn’t be surprised anymore. Why was her father suddenly being mentioned?

And with the next words, Renias’s black-purple pupils began to tremble finely.

“The oracle has designated Junon as the Alcaide.”

“What… did you say?”

Lord Alcaide.

People say that noble title can only be used for one person—the man who saved the world.

Despite having his own name, he was given this middle name because that man, a stranger from another world, protected humanity on the Kempriton continent.

The one who saved humanity, even at the cost of his own lifespan.

That was her father.

But now.

Junon is not just my Calix, but the Alcaide?

“Really…?”

“Denis decoded the oracle himself.”

“He could have made a mistake…”

“It’s a fact decoded directly from a ruin in Sirah. Would you like to go see it yourself?”

If there’s such clear evidence.

If it’s really true.

“We need… to find him.”

“Hmm?”

“Even during the Sirah Colony destruction operation, he fought using himself as bait. He said it was his plan… he even deceived me to get my help…”

Renias’s words meant that Junon had deceived her to carry out his plan, throwing himself as bait.

“Damn it, that means he might have gone toward the Rilkran Mountains!”

He rushed out the door, saying they needed to find him quickly…

Muniher would forever regret not stopping Junon when he slipped out the back door at that moment.

***

Knock knock.

“Junon, are you there?”

Knock knock.

Goden knocked on the door once more, hoping against hope.

But there was no response, suggesting the owner was away.

“Hmm… Renias is in Rebrant too. Tsk, no way to contact them.”

It was good that he had found Junon’s house by asking around among the residents, but Goden had to swallow his disappointment and turn back since the person himself wasn’t there.

“If you were here, they wouldn’t be so worried either.”

After Professor Muniher, who was acting as regent in place of the Grand Duke, sent a letter about the annihilation of the Talon Unit in the Rilkran Mountains, Goden had set out to rescue the remaining soldiers.

From the Moras Great Wetlands down to the Rilkran Mountains, which form the boundary between Sirah and Schütt. That harsh land teeming with various strong creatures.

It wasn’t a bad situation that he was nearby in Sirah and that he had brought soldiers to provide support, but the soldiers in the unit might still need a commander.

Although Goden’s unit had supported Sirah in this colony destruction operation, wasn’t it Junon who had contributed the most by securing the cooperation of residents and establishing a solid plan?

In that sense, he had hoped to ask Junon for help.

“I’m worried.”

The news of the Talon Unit’s annihilation hadn’t reached their ears yet, but the soldiers might tremble in fear once they learned the truth.

But what could he do, disappointing as it was?

To rescue as many remaining soldiers as possible, they had to depart tomorrow.

And the next day.

The situation Goden had feared finally came to pass.

“There’s been a rumor going around Rebrant recently. They say the Talon Unit soldiers who went to the Rilkran Mountains are dying while still alive.”

A soldier was asking Goden so directly that everyone must have wondered what he was talking about.

In the rescue operation, the Talon Unit soldiers were found collapsed on the ground, unable to wake up, and rumors had spread from mouth to mouth all the way to Sirah.

“Isn’t that why Ronelion can’t get up either? We were told he was receiving treatment, but there’s been no news!”

“Come to think of it… Pimpert also distorted memories…”

“If magical beasts really use such magic…”

Since all the remaining soldiers they had found showed the same symptoms, the soldiers became frightened.

“Calm down, everyone! We don’t even know the details yet. Don’t you know excessive speculation is forbidden?”

“But the circumstances match too well…”

“If that’s the case, you should be thinking about facing it directly, not just being scared!”

“It’s already well-known. Those people don’t react to any magical beasts, animals, or even spirits—as if their existence has been completely erased from this world!”

Even after shouting, everyone still couldn’t shake off their anxiety. It couldn’t be helped. They had seen the Talon Unit with their own eyes.

Sighing, Goden chose to suppress their anxiety for now.

“Sigh, Tembris will arrive soon too. We’ll stop the search until then. As reported, the Talon Unit won’t be eaten by magical beasts. Understood?”

What if he had planned differently from the beginning?

Wasn’t there another operational approach?

Could he have completely dispelled their anxiety by presenting more concrete evidence?

The more he thought about it, the more Goden regretted not bringing Junon.

There was no one who fit the role of unit commander, strategist, or the center position of the Tembris Party better than that guy.

It seemed best to return to the base for today.

That’s when.

A red alert was triggered for Goden’s unit.

“F-front! Magical beasts!!”

***

With the sudden raid of magical beasts, the soldiers were in disarray, not only failing to maintain formation but disrupting their balance.

Responding like this would only increase casualties, and with minds full of fear, there was no sign of precise teamwork coming together.

“Pull yourselves together! If we don’t stop them here, Rebrant will be breached!”

Goden shouted, but nothing changed.

Intimidated soldiers and those gripped by fear. The rumors that had spread among these immature souls, still unfamiliar with wars against magical beasts, were truly deadly poison.

‘Damn it. That one looks like the leader…!’

To make matters worse, an individual that appeared to be the leader was clearly visible.

Its appearance was close to a lizard, with skin covered in dense magical scales and a long tail.

However, it didn’t look like a magical beast at all.

It was walking on two legs, and sitting with one hand on its chin and legs crossed. Didn’t it look almost human?

The sense of dissonance only grew with the nuance of contempt it seemed to direct their way.

What was certain, though, was that this lizard was the cause of the magical beasts’ invasion.

That individual, with an atmosphere different from the others, had given instructions to the magical beasts.

-Whirr.

“What…!”

As Goden glanced at the lizard, a formation appeared around it, and then a large fireball was launched from there.

Not only did the magical beast give instructions, but it also used magic.

And then.

“Is. There. Time. To. Think. Of. Anything. Else?”

“…!”

Though a bit awkward, it was clearly using human language.

Eerily so.