Chapter 20

The Eastern Border Region of the Heinen Empire.

“Don’t show any weakness!”

“Waaah!”

Matching Leo’s powerful shout, the unit members rallied their morale once more. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] The battlefield was, quite literally, hell. Enemies poured in endlessly, and comrades fell everywhere.

They had no time to distinguish whose corpse lay strewn on the ground; they simply had to step over the bodies and swing the weapons they held. As soon as one bastard was cut down, another would pop up, and before that one could be finished, another enemy would attack from behind. The battlefield was a place where they had to draw out every ounce of strength without a moment to mourn the loss of a comrade. The roar of battle, mixed with screams, was an image of pure carnage.

The explosion of mana going off here and there and the clash of swords rang out with a chilling sound. Stepping on the blood-soaked ground, Theo quickly lunged forward.

The momentum of Membern’s soldiers and the monsters was truly exceptional. Strictly speaking, Membern’s military strength was the same as they had always faced, but the reason they were struggling more than usual was undoubtedly because of the monsters. The monsters, humanoid in form with menacing appearances and overwhelmingly large physiques and heights, were commonly seen among the intermediate-grade. However, they were dangerous because, for intermediate-grade monsters, their destructive power was unusual, and every single attack could lead to a fatal wound.

Theo, too, was on the larger side among humans, but he was nothing compared to that of a monster. Yet, without a hint of fear, he swung his sword and slammed mana into the monster, which was much larger than himself, without hesitation.

“Aargh!”

Turning his head at a scream, Theo saw a monster raise its fist high above a unit member who was slumped on the ground. Theo quickly threw his sword, embedding it directly into the creature’s forehead. He muttered something quietly, and flames shot up along the blade. A crash soon followed, and the enemy’s corpse was instantly pulverized, scattering across the ground.

“Are you all right?”

Theo approached and offered a hand to the unit member.

“Th-thank you, Captain.”

“If you don’t want to die, you must focus.”

“Yes!”

After hearing the reply, Theo grabbed his sword, lunged off the ground, and dashed away again.

*******

The Imperial Army Eastern Branch.

The battle that had lasted all afternoon finally came to a momentary halt only after the sun had fully set. But this only meant that both sides had retreated a step to prepare for the next fight; it certainly did not signify the end.

In war, endurance was paramount, so using this moment to take sufficient rest was the most crucial thing. The unit members, exhausted from the grueling fight, were slumped everywhere across the base, sighing and resting. But the captains could not afford to.

“Theo, how are things looking?”

Leo, Mile, and Theo were gathered together for a strategy meeting.

“Membern’s military power isn’t threatening, but the monsters are definitely the problem.”

“Exactly. Not low-grade, but intermediate-grade monsters. Plus, the sheer number of them was no joke, either, far exceeding what we expected.”

Mile let out a deep sigh. Theo looked around. All the unit members looked drained and listless. Only one day had passed, but the physical drain was considerable. To defeat the monsters, it was far more efficient to deal with them using magic rather than just swinging ordinary weapons. Since this added mana consumption on top of physical exhaustion, they couldn’t help but feel depleted.

“If we continue this battle of attrition, we’ll be at a disadvantage.”

Leo nodded, seeming to agree with the statement.

“I concur. Moreover, as Mile said, the number of monsters is far too high for our estimates. It seems those bastards pulled some kind of trick… In any case, if we don’t figure out a way to deal with the monsters, we will definitely be at a disadvantage.”

“Mile, what is Unit 5 doing?”

The ability to command intermediate-grade monsters at will like this suggested that Membern had a formidable talent in their ranks. If that were the case, perhaps a rapid strike on the base of operations would be the crucial key to the current situation.

“A report came in earlier that they’ve entered the Urik Mountains, but that’s it for now. It seems that mountain is so rugged that they’re having quite a tough time.”

“Ah, Captain Luke might have already done it by now.”

Theo flinched slightly at Leo’s casual remark.

“Captain Luke is under suspension. Enough of that, let’s discuss our countermeasures for the next attack.”

Theo consciously pushed away the image of Luke being alone at the base and unfolded the map.

*******

The Eastern Mountain range, the Urik Mountains.

Someone with a deep hood pulled over their face was moving swiftly along a trail in the mountains, which were famous for their difficult and rugged terrain.

The footsteps, which navigated the winding paths and the haphazardly overgrown trees and bushes without minding the lack of a proper trail, showed no hesitation. A raven, peering around from a tree branch, suddenly swooped down toward the ground.

“Ugh…”

Perhaps intending only to be spiteful toward the human, the raven changed direction and flew back up.

“Ah, that bird bastard.”

The flap of the raven’s wings had knocked off his hood, and Luke glared intently at the sky where the bird had flown off, annoyance etched on his face.

“I’ll let it slide since I’m in a hurry.”

Luke was currently in the Urik Mountains in the east. Leaving Fael, who could hardly be called a supervisor, and secretly using a warp to get here was not a difficult task. Above all, the Imperial Army was currently entirely preoccupied with the war.

The reason Luke came here was not particularly profound. At first, he had intended to quietly hole up in his room, just as he’d told Fael. If he were caught moving while suspended, he didn’t know what might happen this time.

But the longer he stayed in his room, the more thoughts he wanted to avoid kept stirring in his head. The monsters Membern had summoned, and Unit 5 taking over the Special Detachment’s task.

The Captain of Unit 5, Seth Yulin, was, to be frank, one of the lower-ranking captains in terms of skill. Rumors circulated that he had only attained the rank of captain by leveraging his family’s influence upon enlistment. The reason he was assigned this mission was likely because Seth’s specialty was rapid speed; in other words, exceptional mobility.

But even with that ability, could Seth really pull off a mission he had never attempted before? In this unprecedented situation involving Membern and monsters, it wouldn’t be strange for utterly unpredictable things to happen.

Could he skillfully overcome this entire situation? Luke’s answer to that question was the very reason he was standing here now.

“It’s certainly harder to push through at night.”

But no matter how rugged the mountain, penetrating it wasn’t completely impossible. The fact that Membern had summoned monsters meant that numerous monsters were concentrated there. Since monsters fundamentally use mana, if he detected that energy and moved forward, he was sure to find a path. Of course, they had also cast barriers, so the energy wasn’t perfectly palpable, but a faint aura could still be sensed.

He was running, homing in on the energy, when he suddenly sensed a familiar, unique form of mana in the right sector. Luke quickly changed direction and dashed towards it.

“Seth!”

And there lay a collapsed Seth and the unit members belonging to Unit 5.

“Why are you… here…”

Luke quickly checked Seth’s condition, but it was clear he had been attacked; he didn’t look well at all. He managed to utter that single, difficult phrase before losing consciousness again.

“Over there…”

Just then, Luke heard an unfamiliar sound from the side and a shadow approached, causing him to quickly draw his sword. The blade pointed toward a boy, youthful and hooded, standing there.

“…Who are you? Are you a Membern bastard?”

“Ah, no… I’m… I’m a person who lives in the village right below this mountain…”

“Civilian evacuation should already be complete, shouldn’t it?”

“Actually… I got lost during the evacuation. I got separated from my family and was hiding here… but I definitely saw something just now!”

The boy looked desperate, perhaps thinking he had to prove his innocence under Luke’s interrogation. There was only an ordinary aura, with nothing else discernible. Luke sheathed his sword for the moment.

“I saw someone attacking the soldiers here.”

“Oh, really? And where did that person go now?”

“Over there… They ran in that direction. Towards the Imperial Army’s base.”

The spot the boy pointed to was the path Luke had been running down until now. Indeed, if one followed that path in the opposite direction, there was the Eastern Branch where Theo would be. Luke slowly stood up.

“Ah, is that so?”

Luke nodded vaguely and brought his hand to his waist.

“But for a civilian, you know quite a lot about the battle situation, don’t you? A young brat like you.”

“…Pardon?”

“You even know the location of the Imperial Army’s Eastern Branch. Are you interested in enlisting? If so, you should apply. You’ll clearly be a wonderful talent.”

“What are you even…”

“But you know the application requirements, right? Only citizens of the Empire can apply to the Imperial Army.”

Luke once again drew his sharp blade and held it directly to the boy’s neck. The wind that blew along the blade gently removed the hat the boy was wearing. The face, which had been hidden deep in the dark mountains and under the hood, was finally revealed.

“Which means bastards who act as Membern’s dogs like you can’t apply.”

Luke focused his power on the sword. Countless ice crystals instantly began to adhere tightly to the sharp blade. Luke rapidly raised the sword and brought it down toward the boy.

KWA-GANG!

With a tremendous burst of sound, ice crystals flew everywhere. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] The boy quickly backed away, and though the fragments of ice left scratches on his face, it didn’t show at all. This was because half of the boy’s face was stained a grotesque black.

“Thanks to you, I saved myself the trouble of searching. You’re the Subjugation Sorcerer who gave Membern a new weapon, aren’t you?”

“…The Empire had a keen-sensed bastard, too.”

The boy’s youthful voice instantly changed. It was a cold tone, enough to make one’s hair stand on end.

“Now, we can talk about your relationship with Membern later. Thanks to you, I can easily stop this war. I offer my gratitude for that.”

Luke habitually curled up the corner of his mouth and charged toward the boy. He raised his sword high again, but in that moment, a monster summoned by the boy instantly came into view, blocking the sword and simultaneously shattering it.

“If you want to go to the Imperial Army’s base, I’ll have to deal with you first.”

The ground beneath the Subjugation Sorcerer’s outstretched hand swelled and then gave way, creating a black pit. Black liquid unsettlingly churned and gathered, and soon a huge, wolf-shaped monster grew out of it.

“The kid’s got a short temper, hasn’t he?”

Luke discarded the broken sword and charged forward. Two monsters simultaneously blocked their master’s path. Luke pressed his hand against the ground, freezing the surrounding earth entirely. Taking advantage of the monsters stumbling and flailing as they lost their footing, Luke strongly slammed his right foot onto the ground.

KU-GOONG—!

Lances covered in electrical currents shot out from the ground, mercilessly piercing the monsters’ bodies and immediately searing them. Luke was most proficient in ice and lightning magic. His skill in switching between the two elemental magics was quite exceptional.

Soon, bodily fluids scattered everywhere, and the monsters turned to ash and vanished. The Subjugation Sorcerer stood between his summoned creatures, staring at Luke, who was smiling directly at him. He flinched and took a step back. A shiver had run down his spine.

Luke immediately balled his fist and swung it toward the Subjugation Sorcerer. But the attack was blocked by a Shield Magic the opponent quickly conjured. After that, the fight repeated in a similar fashion. The Subjugation Sorcerer continuously summoned monsters, and Luke, every time, killed the creatures and charged forward.

“Hah…”

Continuously summoning monsters was a mana-intensive form of magic. Thus, the opponent, who was using a comparatively large amount of mana, was currently panting for breath.

“What, you’re not done already, are you?”

Luke, on the other hand, was perfectly fine. He deliberately shrugged his shoulders, looking completely refreshed despite all the movement.

“You are certainly strong. But I cannot delay any longer, either.”

The boy suddenly sat down and quickly began drawing something with his finger on the dirt floor. Luke charged forward to stop him, but the magic circle was activated just a moment too soon.

With a tremendous rumbling of the earth, an immense amount of mana gathered over the glowing magic circle. The wind coalesced in one spot, violently shaking the surrounding trees and bushes. It was like a fierce storm. Breaking through the wind and mana, what appeared before Luke was a high-grade monster in the form of a dragon.

“Hmm, this might be a little tough.”

Luke laughed in disbelief but immediately adopted a combat stance without hesitation.